The is a denomination of the Japanese yen. The current design was first minted in 1959 using Japanese characters known as the "new script", and were also minted from 1948 to 1958 using "old-script" Japanese characters. Five-yen coins date to 1870 (when, due to the much higher value of the yen, they were minted in gold). The modern-day coin was first produced in 1948 with a differently styled inscription. This was changed in 1959 and the design has remained unchanged since. The obverse of the coin depicts a rice plant growing out of the water, with "five yen" written in kanji; the reverse is stamped with "Japan" and the year of issue, also in kanji, separated by sprouts of a tree. The three graphic elements of the coin represent agriculture and fisheries, the key elements of the Japanese first-sector economy. Around the central hole, there is a gear that represents industry. It is the only Japanese coin in circulation to lack Arabic numerals on either side. History Gold five yen (1870-1930) Five yen coins were first struck in gold for the Japanese government in 1870 at the San Francisco Mint. During this time a new mint was being established at Osaka, which did not receive the gold bullion needed for coinage until the following year. The yen as a unit of currency was officially adopted by the Meiji government in an act signed on June 27, 1871. For this particular denomination, its not known if any five yen coins dated 1871 (year 4) were actually struck that year as official records have coinage beginning in 1872. The first and second five yen coin designs feature a dragon figure on the obverse surrounded by legends, while the reverse features the emblem of the Imperial family. Each coin was initially struck in .900 fine gold with a weight of 8.3g, and a diameter of 23.8mm. The diameter was later reduced to 21.8mm when the second design was introduced in 1872. Five yen coins continued to be struck uninterrupted until 1879, when for an unknown reason none were recorded as minted. Coinage resumed in 1880 and remained unchanged until 1897 when Japan officially switched from a silver standard to a gold standard. During this time the gold five yen coin was given a third and final new design. The diameter was reduced from 21.8mm down to 16.9mm, and the weight was changed from