Coin Day, not just a currency

Today, and May 1st annually, is Coin Day コインの日 in Japan. The date was chosen for the anniversary as a number pun, as 5/1 can be read as "ko (5) i (1) n", the Japanese for coin. The aim of the day is to encourage people to appreciate coins not just as an everyday currency but also as miniature works of art.

When you think about it, much like stamps, coins carry depictions of the history, culture and aesthetics of each era and nation. Just like stamps, we can instantly learn something about a country from looking at their coins. Thing is, in many countries, coins are coming hard to come by as many people have switched to cashless payments.

Coins still have a secure spot in Japan, but for how long? As I wrote about a few years ago, even some shrines and temples in Japan now offer people the choice of contributing to online rather than throwing coins in the prayer boxes on the shrine / temple grounds. I recognize the advantage of cashless, but I do not want to see cash or coins disappear entirely. How about you?