新一円銀貨　1890 (明治23年) MS-62PL

PL（Prooflike：鏡面仕上げ）とは、光沢のある鏡面のような表面を持つことを意味し、この仕上げは初期に整備された新しい金型で打たれたごく初期の打刻品にのみ見られます。このシリーズの多くは大量生産によって金型が早期に摩耗したため、ディテールが弱くなっていることが一般的です。それに対して本品は、打刻の輪郭が非常に鮮明で、特に龍の鱗部分における高浮き彫りの意匠がくっきりと表現され、極めて保存状態に優れています。

製造初期においてすでに金型の劣化や目詰まりが発生していたことから、PL仕様のコインはごく限られた初期打刻時にしか存在しなかったと考えられており、通常の流通打ちのコインと比べて格段に希少性が高い逸品です。

An exceptionally rare example of the 1890 (M23) silver 1 Yen coin from Japan, certified Prooflike (PL) by PCGS and graded MS62PL. This designation is extremely scarce—with only 6 coins certified as PL by PCGS to date.

PL (Prooflike) surfaces on this issue are only found among the earliest strikes from freshly prepared dies. Most coins from this series exhibit weak or worn features due to rapid mass production. In contrast, this specimen features sharply struck details, with deeply impressed die work—especially visible in the dragon’s high-relief scales, which are crisply defined and remarkably preserved.

Due to die fatigue and clogging that occurred early during production, PL coins are believed to have been produced only during the initial stage of minting, making them significantly rarer than their regular strike counterparts.

An exceptionally rare example of the 1890 (M23) silver 1 Yen coin from Japan, certified Prooflike (PL) by PCGS and graded MS62PL. This designation is extremely scarce—with only 6 coins certified as PL by PCGS to date.

PL (Prooflike) surfaces on this issue are only found among the earliest strikes from freshly prepared dies. Most coins from this series exhibit weak or worn features due to rapid mass production. In contrast, this specimen features sharply struck details, with deeply impressed die work—especially visible in the dragon’s high-relief scales, which are crisply defined and remarkably preserved.

Due to die fatigue and clogging that occurred early during production, PL coins are believed to have been produced only during the initial stage of minting, making them significantly rarer than their regular strike counterparts.