I don't know about you, but it kind of blows my mind to think that there used to be silver and gold in our currency. "Our" for me being either of my two countries—Japan and America—but I think the same holds true for most of the developed world.

In Japan, until 1967, the ¥100 coin had 60% silver. Going back further to the pre-war era, coins had either 60 or 72% silver. Keep going back and at one time the ¥1 coin was 90% silver.

Until 1964, the US 10 cent, 25 cent, 50 cent, and $1 (if you could find one) coins contained 90% silver. Going back further, before gold was made illegal in 1933, we had the quarter eagle, the half eagle, the eagle, and the double eagle, all of which contained gold.

Now even at the time, those gold coins were pretty much exclusive for the upper class, so they really didn't get much circulation even if they were technically in circulation. That was a lot of money in a small coin, after all, and far too risky for anyone not of means to carry around.

The silver coins, however, were just ordinary change. They used them just as we use regular change today.

That's not to say the fact that they were made of silver escaped some people. I read that hoarding was always an issue, though not as much of one prior to 1965. That is in America, that is, I can't find much info about Japan. My grandmother used to save mercery dimes and walking liberty halves in mason jars from the time she arrived in America in the 50s, just because she knew they were silver and she thought they were worth saving. She came from Sicily and was there when il Duce came to power, so that might have influenced her thinking.

But people like my grandmother aside, most folks just used these silver coins without thought. I can understand, sure. If all coins were silver right now we also probably wouldn't think much about it because it would be normal, so I mean I get it. But still, looking backwards from where we are now where silver has this more elevated image and our currency has become worthless fiat, it just kind of blows my mind a little.

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon.