AR 50 Sen

Struck: 1905
Mint: Osaka
Size: 31mm
Weight: 13.51g
Die Axis: 180°
Grade: AU
Ref: Y# 25.

Obv: Dragon within beaded circle, 3 legends separated by dots.
Rev: Value within wreath, chrysanthemum above.
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Emperor Meiji was born on November 3, 1852 and was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from February 3, 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912. He presided over a time of rapid change in Japan, as the nation rose from feudal state to world power.

At the time of his birth in 1852, Japan was an isolated, pre-industrial, feudal country dominated by the Tokugawa Shogunate and the daimyo, who ruled over the country's more than 250 decentralized domains. By the time of his death in 1912, Japan had undergone massive political, social, and industrial revolution, known collectively as the Meiji Restoration, emerging as one of the great powers on the world stage.

Meiji suffered from diabetes, nephritis and gastroenteritis and he died of uremia on July 30 1912. A detailed account of the state funeral in the New York Times concluded with an observation: "The contrast between that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan."