Japan 2010 47 Prefectures Series Program - Saga 1 oz Silver Proof Coin

Saga prefecture touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The Saga prefecture coin features a full color portrait of Okuma Shigenobu, born in Hachitarō in Saga in 1838. As Japan’s Minister of Finance (1870-1881), he unified the nation’s currency and created the national mint; he remained active in politics through 1908. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain. The Japanese potter Kakiemon Sakaida (1596–1666) is popularly credited with being one of the first in Japan to discover the secret of enamel decoration on porcelain--and Kakiemon is sometimes used as a generic term describing these wares. A typical Kakiemon porcelain piece, featuring a bird and flowers is pictured in full color on the Saga Prefecture coin.