Japan. - 151 banknotes - various dates (No reserve price)

Shipping method

The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL, FedEx, or EMS depending on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes customs or the delivery company in your country may contact you for customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure you can answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it will cost double the shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.

Important notice regarding customs and import taxes (effective July 1, 2026)

From July 1, 2026, all parcels shipped from outside the EU to EU countries valued at €150 or under are subject to new customs regulations.

What this means for you:

A flat customs duty of €3 per item will be applied
VAT will be calculated on the total of (item price + €3 duty)
Your carrier may charge an additional handling fee (approx. €15)

Example: for an item valued at €120 — customs duty €3, VAT 21% €25.83, handling fee approx. €15 → estimated additional cost approx. €43.

These charges are the responsibility of the buyer and are collected upon delivery. Please factor this into your bid before purchasing. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me before bidding. Thank you for your understanding.

Item description

A fascinating lot of 151 vintage Japanese banknotes issued by the Bank of Japan and the Japanese government, spanning several historical series from the Meiji through the early Showa era. The collection includes larger-denomination Bank of Japan notes such as the 100 yen note featuring Prince Shotoku Taishi (4th series), two different 10 yen note designs (the Wake no Kiyomaro 2nd-series portrait note and the Diet Building design note, the latter including several unused pieces), and a 5 yen note from the revised inconvertible 2nd-series issue, alongside smaller fractional notes (50 sen, 10 sen, and 5 sen) featuring a variety of motifs including torii gates, plum and cherry blossoms, and a mounted warrior. Many notes are still held in their original protective sleeves and mounted on collector's display boards, exactly as shown in the photographs. This is a rewarding opportunity for collectors of Japanese numismatics or history enthusiasts to acquire a broad cross-section of 20th-century Japanese paper currency in a single lot.

Size

Not specified – notes are mounted on collector's display boards / stored in protective sleeves, as shown in the photographs

Weight

340 g / 0.34 kg

Condition

Good condition overall – a mix of circulated and some unused (uncirculated) notes, hand-selected for minimal folds and sharp corners, though as with any vintage paper currency some pieces show light creasing, edge wear, or age-related toning.

Historical background

The 100 yen note portrait of Prince Shotoku, first introduced in 1930, became one of the most recognizable figures in modern Japanese banknote history and was reused across several subsequent series through the postwar years. The lower-denomination fractional notes (5, 10, and 50 sen) circulated widely in the late Meiji through early Showa periods before Japan's currency moved fully to the yen-only system after World War II.

My message

Thank you for viewing my item. I run a recycle shop in Japan, and I take part in Catawiki because I want to share Japan's craftsmanship and history with the world. If you have any questions about this item, please feel free to message me anytime. With gratitude to you all — ARIGATO

Shipping method (repeated)

The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by DHL, FedEx, or EMS depending on the situation. It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally. Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Sometimes customs or the delivery company in your country may contact you for customs clearance via phone or email. Please make sure you can answer the phone. If you don't, the parcel will return to me and it will cost double the shipping fee for reshipping. I appreciate your cooperation.