5 Fen - Puyi (Kangde)

The 5 Fen coin was minted in 1944 for the puppet state of Manchukuo, a regime established by the Empire of Japan in Northeast China. Issued under the reign of Puyi, the last Emperor of China who served as the nominal ruler of Manchukuo under the title Kangde, these coins were produced during the later stages of World War II. By 1944, the ongoing conflict had led to significant shortages of strategic metals, which is reflected in the composition of this issue; unlike earlier versions made of cupro-nickel, the 1944 5 Fen was struck in fiber or compressed paperboard, marking a desperate shift toward substitute materials to conserve resources for the Japanese war effort.

The design of the coin features a simple, austere aesthetic that reflects the political climate of its creation. The obverse typically displays the orchid crest of the Manchukuo Imperial Household, while the reverse indicates the denomination and the date in the Kangde era calendar. These coins were never intended to represent national sovereignty in a traditional sense, but rather served as instruments of Japanese colonial control. Today, they remain significant historical artifacts that document the decline of the Manchukuo administration and the severe economic constraints placed upon the region during the final years of the Pacific War.