Expert: Brad Swain - 2/21/2010

Question
I found a coin today and I was wondering where it was from. On one side appears to be three leaves, with three separate stems going upwards. Above the leaves are what appears to be three words or letters in possibly an asian language. Below the leaves, there also appears to be three more letters or words in an asian language. It is surrounded by a dotted border around the coin. The other side has a big 500 with the zero's filled in, and under the 500, 5 letters or words in the same language. This coin is larger than a quarter, probably around the same size as the silver dollar in America.Where is this coin from and although I doubt it has any worth, what is it's worth in U.S. dollars? Thank you! P.S. I prefer not to send imagine because it may take awhile, however if needed, I could do so in another email.

Answer
Hi Jacob, this is a copper-nickel Japanese 500 Yen coin (equal to about $5 U.S.) minted since 1982 featuring a Pawlonia flower. The date is below the 500 in number of years of reign of the then current emperor.
Japanese and Arabic numbers: http://userwebs.psknet.com/tbirde/Arabic_Jap.jpg
Collector value may be worth up to about $8 depending on amount of wear and collector demand.
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad