[Japanese, ad. Chinese yüan round, round thing, circle, dollar.] A Japanese coin, of gold or silver, representing the monetary unit of Japan since 1871, formerly of about the value of the United States dollar, now of about 2 shillings [c. 1922]. Also collect. as pl.
1875. Jevons, Money, xii. 147. Even Japan has imitated European nations, and introduced a gold coinage of twenty, ten, five, two, and one-yen pieces, the yen being only three per mille less in value than the American gold dollar.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., ix. 316. The Yen is divided into 100 Sen, and the Sen into 10 Rin.
1883. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Suppl., Yen, a name for the dollar in Japan, in former years worth 3s. 9d., but now only about 3s. 2d.
1904. Times, 16 Jan., 11/3. Japan has in the vaults of her Central Bank specie to the unprecedented amount of 113 million yen, or £11,300,000.
