Countermarked yen refers to Japanese trade dollars and 1 yen coins that are stamped 銀 (gin), literally meaning "silver" (pronounced [ɡʲĩɴ] with hard 'g'). The countermark was added by the Japanese government in 1897 to these coins dated up to that point. This came at a time when Japan went onto the gold standard prompting the government to confine these two denominations for use outside the mainland. Due to their eye appeal, these coins are now regarded as collectibles by preference.