1964 Japanese 1000-yen

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Japan’s 1964 1000-yen struck in .925 silver, 35mm in diameter and weighing 20g. A comemorative coin issued to celebrate the “happy games,” as the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics were sometimes called.

The sobriquet “happy games” is an especially pleasing one given the tortuous path leading to the ’64 Summer Olympics. Tokyo had been awarded the 1940 Summer Olympics but had to forfeit the opportunity to host the games because of the Japanese invasion of China.

The 1940 Summer Olympics were then awarded to Finland, but then were cancelled altogether because of another invasion.

The world moves on, however—sometimes in a happy direction—and by 1964 Japan was a different place than it had been in the 1930s.

So here with this 1000-yen piece we have the near-perfect Mt. Fuji and its attendant cherry blossoms in sterling silver, the Olympic rings, and the remembrance of Tokyo and its 1964 Happy Games.

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