Japan rediscovers rare WWII phantom coins in warehouse

A Japanese company has uncovered thousands of rare "phantom" coins, believed to have been destroyed after World War II.

The find was made by Shofu Inc., a dental equipment manufacturer, in Kyoto in August 2023. They uncovered 15 wooden boxes filled with small pottery discs, which were later identified by the Japan Mint as a rare form of WWII currency known as "phantom" coins, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

According to a Facebook post on October 18, the Japan Mint confirmed that the unusual ceramic discs were part of a currency experiment during World War II. These "phantom" coins, made of ceramic due to metal shortages, were produced in mass quantities starting in July 1945 but were never released to the public, as production ceased shortly after the war ended.

Instead of being issued, most of these coins were destroyed, which led to their ghostly reputation. In total, around 15 million of these ceramic coins were produced, with officials estimating that the rediscovered boxes contain more than 500,000 of them. 

Mint officials have called this massive coin collection an "extremely rare" find. The coins have a face value of 1 sen, which is equivalent to one one-hundredth of a yen. As of today, 1 yen is valued at approximately 0.65 cents in USD, making the coin worth less than a penny. 

Close-up images reveal that the ceramic coins feature Mount Fuji on one side and a cherry blossom on the other, as reported by Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese news outlet. The "phantom" coins were discovered "on the site of the former Shofu Industries, which was responsible for manufacturing the coins," according to a report by the Mainichi. Mint officials noted that Shofu Industries dissolved in 1967. 

Plans are underway to conduct further studies on the ceramic coins in order to gain a deeper understanding of currency production in Japan at the close of World War II. Kyoto, where the coins were found, is a historic city located at the southern end of Japan’s largest island, about 280 miles southwest of Tokyo.

By Naila Huseynova