Great Cities silver coin series continues on its global journey with a stop at Japan’s capital, Tokyo

Another of the lower-key coin series issued by the New Zealand Mint is debuting its fifth entrant today. Great Cities is a one-ounce fine silver series depicting the skylines of some of the worlds major capitals. Following London, New York, Shanghai and Copenhagen, Tokyo finds itself the latest metropolis for treatment. As before, the city is depicted as an amalgamation of its most prominent architectural highlights like the famous Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is combined as a “metropolitan prefecture”, comprised of 23 Special Wards each governed as an individual city. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world’s most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people.

Much of the architecture in Tokyo in relatively new, as twice in the last century it’s been reduced to ruins: first in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and later in World War II when it was extensively firebombed by the USAAF. There are multiple examples of internationally famous architectural highlights including Tokyo International Forum, Asahi Beer Hall, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building and Rainbow Bridge. Tokyo also features two distinctive towers: Tokyo Tower and the new Tokyo Skytree which is the tallest tower in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Struck in 0.999 silver, the coin design is not encumbered with excessive inscriptions, just the city name and a very small composition description being present, the latter a regular presence on NZ Mint numismatics.. The obverse carries the Ian Rank Broadley penned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II along with the denomination, date etc. Packaging on these is both solid and attractive, and there’s a serialised certificate of authenticity included. Selling for $80.00 USD and with a mintage limited to 3,000 pieces each, they’re available to buy now. Site sponsors PowerCoin and Minted-UK both usually stock them, amongst others .