page_title: Obverse and reverse
section_title: Coins of Japan
hierarchical_section_title: Obverse and reverse / Specific currencies / Coins of Japan
context_page_description: Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a prominent person, and the reverse tails.
  In fields of scholarship outside numismatics, the term front is more commonly used than obverse, while usage of reverse is widespread.
  The equivalent terms used in codicology, manuscript studies, print studies and publishing are "recto" and "verso".
context_section_description: In Japan, from 1897 to the end of World War II, the following informal conventions existed:
  the Chrysanthemum Throne (or Chrysanthemum Crest), representing the imperial family, appeared on all coins, and this side was regarded as the obverse;
  the other side, on which the date appeared, was regarded as the reverse.
  The Chrysanthemum Crest was no longer used after the war, and so (equally informally):
  the side on which the date appears continues to be regarded as the reverse;
  the side without the date is regarded as the obverse.
caption: ¥500 coin, the obverse showing a Paulownia plant, the reverse showing the value "500", and the year 2006 (平成十八年, heisei juu-hachi nen)
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