Japan (Manchukuo occupation) 1 Fen 1943 and 1944

Nice, Arnold! These coins are hard to find! The Japanese Army occupied much of the east Asian mainland during the second World War. Manchukuo, which literally translates to 'State of Manchuria', was a puppet state of Japan from 1934 until its liberation in 1945.

Though the country was not officially recognized by China during its short existence, the two countries still established ties for transportation and communication. Rampant trade was also observed along the borders. many Chinese people in rural areas just kept living their lives as they always had, either not knowing or not caring about the diplomatic issues in the outside world.

Only a few varieties of coins were minted for Manchukuo, and this aluminum 1 fen is one of them. It was minted in 1943 (year 10, a '+' below the large '1') and 1944 (year 11, a '- +' below the large '1'). The coin shown in our image is a pattern coin in silver from 1945, or year 12, and it thus shows a date of '= +' below the large '1'. These pattern coins are worth about $500 US dollars.

Both dates of the normal issues in aluminum carry the same value, as outlined below:

worn: $2 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $18
fully uncirculated: $40

Bent, heavily scratched or otherwise damaged coins will be worth close to zero. Refer to our 'Important Terminology' page on the top left in order to properly interpret the catalog values listed above.
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