| Material | Copper 720, Zinc 200, Nickel 80 |
| Diameter | 26.5mm |
| Weight | 7.0g |
In 2000, the material used for 500 yen coins was changed.
The old 500-yen coin was made of white copper, a mixture of copper and nickel.
Japan’s 500-yen coin was made of a material similar to South Korea’s 500-won coin and was almost the same size.
As a result, crimes involving the use of counterfeit coins to deceive vending machine coin recognition sensors occurred frequently.
Strictly speaking, the 500-won coin is about 0.5 grams heavier.
Crimes involving the use of modified 500 won coins to steal goods and change from vending machines occurred frequently.
The current 500 yen coin reduces the amount of copper and nickel while adding zinc, changing the electrical resistance value from the old coin.
It also features fine, jagged lines on the sides to make counterfeiting more difficult.
