HomeWorld CoinsJapan Mint to Issue Gold and Silver Coins to Commemorate Earthquake Reconstruction

Japan Mint to Issue Gold and Silver Coins to Commemorate Earthquake Reconstruction

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By CoinWeek Staff Reports….
The Japan Mint has announced the release of two coins, issued to commemorate the March 2011 earthquake-tsunami that devastated the northeast coast of Japan.

On March 11, 2011, a powerful 9.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan’s eastern coastline and unleashed a devastating tsunami with 30-foot-tall waves. The natural disaster killed more than 15,000 people and displaced millions more. The tremors and resulting water surge critically damaged seven reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The disaster will go down as one of the costliest in reported history, with the aftereffects being felt for many years, if not generations.

japanearthquake2To commemorate the victims of the disaster and those whose tireless and selfless work has brought back a sense of normalcy to the affected communities, the Japan Mint will issue a series of Great East Japan Earthquake Reconstruction Project Coins. The first emission from the program features two coins: a gold 10,000-yen coin and a silver 1,000-yen coin.

The gold coin weighs 15.6 grams and measures 26.0mm. Its mintage is set at 14,000 with 973 allocated for the international market. This is the first time in six years that the Japan Mint has issued a gold coin.

The silver coin weighs 31.1 grams and measures 40.0mm. The coin’s obverse features a color-printed depiction of a large fishing boat, flags aloft, and two ears of rice. Its mintage is limited to 60,000 pieces. 3,328 will be allotted to international customers.

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Both coins share a reverse design of the ‘miracle’ pine of Rikuzentakata. The 250-year-old tree was the only tree on the town’s coastline left standing after the storm. Five doves in flight surround the tree.

Three additional silver and gold coins are planned for the program, which will run through Spring 2016. Retail will be available around September through the distributors of Japan Mint.

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About the Japan Mint

The Japan Mint is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. Since it was established in 1871, the Japan Mint has been responsible for producing coins for Japan. Today, it produces circulating coins and state-of-the-art collector coins in a variety of metals, including silver and gold.

For more information, you can visit the Japan Mint’s website.

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