|
Colored
Coins Commemorate 50th Anniversary of
the Restoration of the Amami Islands to Japan
Commemorative
proof silver 1000 Yen coins have been issued to mark the 50th
Anniversary of the Restoration of the Amami Islands to Japan.
The Amami Islands lie due north of Okinawa and form the southernmost
part of Kagoshima Prefecture. The return of the Islands on December
25, 1953, after nearly eight years of American military occupation
and administration, was described as an early "Christmas
present" by then-U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.
The bird
and flower design of the obverse is enhanced by nine colors
-- white, black, blue, purple, red, orange, yellow, yellow-green
and green. Lidth's jay is a rare protected bird native only
to the Amami Islands. The Easter Lilies pictured are found
in the wild of the Islands and are among the most popular
agricultural products in the area.
The design
on the coin's reverse features the Amami Islands and the inscription
"The 50th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Amami
Islands to Japan", along with the denomination "1,000
yen" and the issue year according to the Japanese calendar
"Heisei 15th", equivalent to 2003. A map of the
Islands is shown on the reverse.
Each proof
1,000 Yen coin is minted from 1 troy oz. of pure (.999 fine)
silver, and has a diameter of 40 mm. The edge has helical
ridges. It comes in a cloth-covered presentation box with
a bilingual (Japanese and English) certificate of authenticity.
They are available for $99 each from official distributor
PandaAmerica, 3460 Torrance Blvd., Suite 100, Torrance, CA
90503. Credit card orders can be placed by calling (800) 472-6327
or e-Mailing info@pandaamerica.com.
Add $5.50 per order for shipping and insurance.
It should
be noted that the Amami Restoration coins are no longer available
for overseas delivery by the Japan Mint, but PandaAmerica
has a small supply on hand which will be sold on a first come-first
served basis.
Prepared
by Mel Wacks on December 9, 2003
|
