The Ministry of Finance has announced the chosen designs for coins commemorating the reconstruction efforts for the Great East Japan Earthquake that rocked the northern area of Tohoku on March 11, 2011.
A premium gold coin with a face value of 10,000 yen and a premium silver coin with a face value of 1,000 yen are scheduled to be produced in 2015. Most are engraved with beautiful symbols of Japan, but does one of them look a little funny to you?
If the bottom right coin in the photo made you do a double take, you’re not the only one. This design, one of six chosen by the Ministry of Finance, was created by a fourth grade elementary school student. It features a picture of a child patriotically waving Japan’s flag with the words “ganbaro nihon” (hang in there, Japan) written in what looks to be crayon.
The fact that the commemorative coin’s picture was drawn by a child makes no difference to an overwhelming amount of people. The sight of this “unsophisticated” drawing has stirred up a flurry of complaints on Japanese sites.
One blogger laments, “All I see is that kid’s scribble” after looking at the six chosen designs. The bashing continues with comments such as, “Is the Ministry of Finance sleeping on the job?” and “Why would I want to collect these coins?” One commenter kept it simple, stating, “That design is just awful.”
It’s a nice gesture and quite endearing to choose an elementary school student’s drawing for such a special coin which will also be presented to people who donated 10 million yen and 1 million yen to the reconstruction efforts.
© RocketNews24
16 Comments
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JonathanJo
It could have been worse - they could have put it on a circulating 500Y coin. These high value precious metal 'coins' are really nothing of the sort, but simply a way of ripping money off gullible collectors. And putting colour on the silver coins moves them even further away from that which interests the true numismatist.
Speed
They should've put a picture of the lone surviving pine on one of them.
the-grouch
Maybe one of those coins should have had an engraving of the Harley-Davidson bike that made it across the Pacific. They should have called it "Endurance" and maybe, just maybe, another one just showing a flower and an inscription of a prayer for all those that perished and those that are still grieving. That could be more commemorating and worth buying.
CrazyJoe
Don't worry they have the lone surviving pine also.
http://www.mint.go.jp/reconstruction/first.html
Serrano
The bottom right one is the best one.
Wakarimasen
I would have expected some cutesy anime character
gogogo
Easier to forge?
TSRnow
I don't know about others, but kind of I like the idea. "Ganbaro" is a very delicate word in Japan right now. It used to be a simple word of encouragement, but for the person who is already doing their best, it puts more pressure or burden on them, sometimes pushing them into the corner. People want to say "Ganbare!" but they can't. I can't say for sure that this coin is the best of choices, but putting the word in an innocent child's words sort of softens it so it would be easier on the ear even for the people worst hit by this disaster.
Amidalism
Frankly I don't think that the other designs are much better than the childs :P
Himajin
an overwhelming 'number' of people.
Ranger_Miffy2
They are all fine with me. Only commemorative coins anyway.
Dennis Bauer
if you don't like them don't buy them?
Frank Vaughn
Dennis BauerSep. 10, 2012 - 11:49AM JST
if you don't like them don't buy them?
Right on Dennis!
What a horrible way to treat a child. Here you have a child HONORED by his/her government and then his fellow countrymen COMPLAIN!!!
mangosqueezesbanana
Because a child's art on a coin would be another 'only in Japan' item, non-Japanese may find it highly collectible.
nath
Right on Frank Vaughn...you are spot on! I feel the same way. The child's coin is beautiful! All of the coins are beautiful. If selling these coins helps reconstruction efforts...then I say sell, sell, sell! They are nice coins! The United States did something similar and the U.S. military has many, many commemorative coins and hands them out to deserving military personnel. Good work, Japan!
Badge213
I LIKE IT and plan to purchase one.