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List of Japanese cash coins by inscription

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Known cash coin types of Japan produced from 708 to 958, chronologically arranged.

Cash coins were introduced to Japan in the century inspired by the Chinese Kaigen Tsūhō (開元通寳) cash coins from the Tang dynasty. Chinese cash coins also circulated in other countries and inspired similar currencies such as the Korean mun, Ryukyuan mon, Vietnamese văn, while they also circulated as far south as Indonesia. Because these currencies were so similar cash coins around the Far East were interchangeable and Japanese cash coins circulated in other countries while foreign cash coins also circulated in Japan.[1][2]

The first Japanese cash coins were the Wadōkaichin (和同開珎) which were produced from 29 August 708.[3][4][5] In 760 Japanese currency was reformed and gold and silver cash coins were introduced, however by the end of the 10th century the value of Japanese coinage had severely fallen combined with a weak central government led the Japanese to return to barter. From the 12th century onwards the Japanese started importing Chinese currency again even while the Southern Song dynasty banned the export of its coinage, while the import of Chinese cash coins surged again during the Ming dynasty era when large amounts of Ming Chinese cash coins were imported.

The Japanese started locally imitating Chinese cash coins, which were known as Shichūsen (私鋳銭). But the quality of these cash coins varied severely depending on the mint. As many cash coins circulated in the market for a long time their quality diminished over time becoming known as Bitasen (鐚銭, "bad metal money").[6][7] After the Tokugawa shogunate banned Bitasen in 1608 they started producing their own coinage and after 1859 provincial authorities were allowed to mint their own coinages. Japanese cash coins were officially demonetised in 1891 after officially circulating as a division of the Japanese yen with an exchange rate of 10.000 mon for 1 yen.[8][9][10]

Fuhonsen

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The first Japanese embassy to China is recorded to have been sent in 630, following with Japan, who adopted numerous Chinese cultural practices.[11] The importance of metallic currency appeared to Japanese nobles, probably leading to some coin minting at the end of the 7th century,[12] such as the Fuhonsen [ja] coinage (富本銭), discovered in 1998 through archaeological research in the area of Nara.[11] An entry of the Nihon Shoki dated April 15, 683 mentions: "From now on, copper coins should be used, but silver coins should not be used", which is thought to order the adoption of the Fuhonsen copper coins.[11] The first official cash coinage was struck in 708.

Inscription Kanji Image
Fuhon 富本

Kōchōsen

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Main article: Japanese currency

Early Kōchōsen

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Japan's first formal currency system was the Kōchōsen (Japanese: 皇朝銭, "Imperial currency"). It was exemplified by the adoption of Japan's first official coin type, the Wadōkaichin.[12][13] It was first minted in 708 CE on order of Empress Genmei, Japan's 43rd Imperial ruler.[12] "Wadōkaichin" is the reading of the four characters printed on the coin, and is thought to be composed of the era name Wadō (和銅, "Japanese copper"), which could alternatively mean "happiness", and "Kaichin", thought to be related to "Currency".

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Nominal value Metal Image
Wadō Kaichin 和同開珎 和同開珎 Copper, Silver
Copper
Copper
Silver
Silver
Mannen Tsūhō [ja] 萬年通寳 万年通宝 10 Wadōkaichin cash coins Copper
Taihei Genpō 大平元寶 大平元宝 10 copper coins Silver
Kaiki Shoho 開基勝寶 開基勝宝 10 silver coins Gold

Last Kōchōsen

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The Kōchōsen Japanese system of coinage became strongly debased, with its metallic content and value decreasing. By the middle of the 9th century, the value of a coin in rice had fallen to 1/150th of its value of the early 8th century.[11] By the end of the 10th century, compounded with weaknesses in the political system, this led to the abandonment of the national currency, with the return to rice as a currency medium. The last official Japanese coin emission occurred in 958, with very low quality coins called Kengen Taihō (乾元大宝), which soon fell into disuse.[11]

The last Kōchōsen coins produced after the Wadōkaichin was debased include:[14]

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Year of introduction
(Julian calendar)		 Image
Jingū Kaihō [ja] 神功開寳 神功開宝 765
Ryūhei Eihō [ja] 隆平永寳 隆平永宝 796
Fuju Shinpō [ja] 富壽神寳 富寿神宝 818
Jōwa Shōhō [ja] 承和昌寳 承和昌宝 835
Chōnen Taihō [ja] 長年大寳 長年大宝 848
Jōeki Shinpō [ja] 饒益神寳 饒益神宝 859
Jōgan Eihō [ja] 貞觀永寳 貞観永宝 870
Kanpyō Taihō [ja] 寛平大寳 寛平大宝 890
Engi Tsūhō [ja] 延喜通寳 延喜通宝 907
Kengen Taihō [ja] 乹元大寳 乾元大宝 958

Toraisen, Shichūsen, and Bitasen

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List of Toraisen, Shichūsen, and Bitasen cash coins:[15]

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Image
Kōbu Tsūhō 洪武通寶 洪武通宝
Eiraku Tsūhō 永樂通寳 永楽通宝
Katei Tsūhō 嘉靖通寶 嘉靖通宝
Shōfu Tsūhō 祥符通寶 祥符通宝
Heian Tsūhō 平安通寶 平安通宝
Genyū Tsūhō 元祐通寶 元祐通宝

List of Bitasen cash coins (Katou bitasen (加刀鐚銭)) that originated in China (these were recut from circulating Chinese coinage).[6]

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Image
Junpei Genpō 順平元寳 順平元宝
Genpō Tsūhō 元豊通寶 元豊通宝
Genfu Tsūhō 元符通寶 元符通宝
Shidō Genpō 至道元寳 至道元宝

Edo period

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Main article: Japanese mon (currency)

List of cash coins issued by the Tokugawa shogunate

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During the history of the Japanese mon under the Tokugawa shogunate, many different cash coins with different obverse inscriptions were cast, the main cash coins cast by the central government were:[16]

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Year of introduction
(Gregorian calendar)		 Nengō
(Japanese calendar)		 Denomination(s) Image
Keichō Tsūhō[17] 慶長通寳 慶長通宝 1606 Keichō 11 1 mon
Genna Tsūhō[18] 元和通寳 元和通宝 1616 Genna 2 1 mon
Kan'ei Tsūhō[19][20] 寛永通寳 寛永通宝 1626 (1 mon)[a]
1768 (4 mon)		 Kan'ei 5 (1 mon)
Meiwa 5 (4 mon)		 1 mon
4 mon
Hōei Tsūhō[21] 寳永通寳 宝永通宝 1708 Hōei 5 10 mon
Tenpō Tsūhō[22][23] 天保通寳 天保通宝 1835 Tenpō 6 100 mon
Bunkyū Ēhō[24][25] 文久永寳 文久永宝 1863 Bunkyū 3 4 mon

List of Nagasaki trade coins

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Main article: Nagasaki trade coins

The following coins were minted in the city of Nagasaki for export to other countries:[26][27][28]

Inscription
(Kyūjitai)		 Inscription
(Shinjitai)		 Font Japanese
(Romaji)		 Mandarin
(Hànyǔ Pīnyīn)		 Vietnamese
(chữ Quốc ngữ)		 Image[b]
元豊通寳 元豊通宝 Clerical script, Semi-cursive script, Seal script Genpō Tsūhō Yuán Fēng Tōng Bǎo Nguyên Phong Thông Bảo Nagasaki-genpotsuho-reisho
天聖元寳 天聖元宝 Regular script Tensei Genpō Tiān Shèng Yuán Bǎo Thiên Thánh Nguyên Bảo Nagasaki-tenseigenpo-reisho
祥符元寳 祥符元宝 Regular script Shofu Genpō Xiáng Fú Yuán Bǎo Tường Phù Nguyên Bảo Nagasaki-shohugenpo-reisho
嘉祐通寳 嘉祐通宝 Regular script Kayū Tsūhō Jiā Yòu Tōng Bǎo Gia Hựu Thông Bảo Nagasaki-kayutsuho-reisho
熈寧元寳 煕寧元宝 Regular script, Seal script Kinei Genpō Xī Níng Yuán Bǎo Hi Ninh Nguyên Bảo Nagasaki-kineigenpo-tensho
紹聖元寳 紹聖元宝 Seal script Shōsei Genpō Shào Shèng Yuán Bǎo Thiệu Thánh Nguyên Bảo Nagasaki-shoseigenpo-tensho
治平元寳 治平元宝 Seal script Jihei Genpō Zhì Píng Yuán Bǎo Trị Bình Nguyên Bảo

Nagasaki trade coins notably bear the inscription of many Song dynasty coins because those coins were already widespread in circulation on the Southeast Asian market making the Nagasaki trade coins more familiar for its target demographic.[29]

List of local cash coins cast during the Bakumatsu

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Many Japanese domains produced their own currency which happened chaotically, so that the nation's money supply expanded by 2.5 times between 1859 and 1869, leading to crumbling money values and soaring prices.[30][31][26][32][11]

These coins were often produced with the name of the domain or province on them, the mon coins produced by domains are:

Inscription Kyūjitai Shinjitai Domain Image
Sendai Tsūhō 仙臺通寳 仙台通宝 Sendai
Hosokura tō hyaku 細倉當百 細倉当百 Sendai
Isawa Tsūhō 膽澤通寳 胆沢通宝 Sendai
Tetsuzan Tsūhō 鐵山通寳 鉄山通宝 Morioka
Hakodate Tsūhō 箱館通寳 箱館通宝 Matsumae
Dōzan Tsūhō 銅山通寳 銅山通宝 Kubota
Ashū Tsūhō 阿州通寳 阿州通宝 Tokushima
Tosa Tsūhō 土佐通寳 土佐通宝 Tosa
Chikuzen Tsūhō (100 mon) 筑前通寳 - 當百 筑前通宝 - 当百 Fukuoka
Ryūkyū Tsūhō (100 mon) 琉球通寳 - 當百 琉球通宝 - 当百 Satsuma
Ryūkyū Tsūhō (½ Shu) 琉球通寳 - 半朱 琉球通宝 - 半朱 Satsuma

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The Kan'ei Tsūhō was first minted in 1626 (Kan'ei 5) in the Mito domain on a small scale, but the Tokugawa government started mass producing the coin in 1636 (Kan'ei 15).
  2. ^ Click to enlarge

References

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  1. ^ Cocolog 雑記@史華堂 「中山通宝」について. (in Japanese) Published: 8 February 2013 Retrieved: 9 June 2017.
  2. ^ (日本銀行), Nippon/Nihon Ginkō (1973). "p. 105". Nihon Ginkou Chousakyoku ed., Zuroku Nihon no kahei, vol.1 (Tokyo: Touyou Keizai Shinpousha, 1973). Tokyo: Nihon Ginkō. Chōsakyoku. / Bank of Japan, Economic Research Department.
  3. ^ Titsingh, Isaac (1834), Annales des empereurs du Japon (in French), pp. 63–5.
  4. ^ Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, p. 271,
  5. ^ Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. p. 140.
  6. ^ a b "Bitasen 鐚銭". Luke Roberts at the Department of History – University of California at Santa Barbara. 24 October 2003. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  7. ^ Masuo Tomifusa, Honpou bitasen zufu, (Anasendou 1982). (in Japanese)
  8. ^ Aila de la Rive, MoneyMuseum Money in the Land of the Rising Sun I: The Copper Coins of Ancient Japan. Retrieved: 26 June 2017.
  9. ^ Droppers, Garrett (January 1898). "Monetary Changes in Japan". The Quarterly Journal of Economics. 12 (2): 153–185. doi:10.2307/1882117. JSTOR 1882117.
  10. ^ Việt Touch VIET NAM COINS & PAPER NOTES. AUTHOR: Thuan D. Luc COLLECTION: Bao Tung Nguyen VIET NAM NUMISMATICS © Chi D. Nguyen Retrieved: 24 June 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Japan Currency Museum (日本貨幣博物館) permanent exhibit
  12. ^ a b c The Cambridge history of Japan: Heian Japan John Whitney Hall, Donald H. (Donald Howard) Shively, William H. McCullough p.434
  13. ^ Japan Mint – History of Japanese coins. Retrieved: 26 June 2017.
  14. ^ Sakuraki, Shin'ichi; Dr. Helen Wang; Peter Kornicki; Nobuhisa Furuta; Timon Screech; Joe Cribb (2010). Catalogue of the Japanese Coin Collection (pre-Meiji) at the British Museum with special reference to Kutsuki Masatsuna (PDF). British Museum. ISBN 978-0-86159-174-9. ISSN 1747-3640. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  15. ^ Masuo Tomifusa, Honpou bitasen zufu, (Anasendou 1982). (in Japanese).
  16. ^ Japan Numismatic Dealers Association "The Catalog of Japanese Coins and Banknotes" Archived 2017-10-17 at the Wayback Machine ISBN 4930810175 (in Japanese).
  17. ^ 瀧澤武雄, 西脇康 「日本史小百科「貨幣」」 東京堂出版、1999年 (in Japanese)
  18. ^ 「日本の貨幣-収集の手引き-」 日本貨幣商協同組合、1998年 (in Japanese)
  19. ^ "Basics of distinguishing Kan'ei coins". Luke Roberts at the Department of History – University of California at Santa Barbara. 24 October 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  20. ^ Shizuoka Izumika comp., Anasen Nyuumon Kan'ei Tsuuhou: Shin Kan'ei no bu (Shoshinkan: Tokyo, 1997).
  21. ^ TAKIZAWA Takeo, (1996) Nihon no Kahei no Rekishi (History of Japanese Currencies) Tokyo, Yoshikawa Kobunkan. (Takizawa p.242).
  22. ^ "Guide for attribution of Tenpo Tsuho (1835–1871) 天保通寶". Heinz Gratzer & Vladimir Balyaev (Chinese Coinage Web Site). 11 October 2003. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  23. ^ XIV International Economic History Congress, Helsinki 2006 Session 106 Too Commercialised To Synchronize Currencies: Monetary Peasant Economy in Late Imperial China in Comparison with Contemporary Japan by Akinobu Kuroda (University of Tokyo) Retrieved: 11 June 2017
  24. ^ Kosenkan List of East-Asian & Vietnamese mon coins. (in Japanese) Published: 30 April 1999 Last updated: 15 September 2008. Retrieved: 16 June 2017.
  25. ^ "4 mon Kan'ei and Bunkyuu coins". Luke Roberts at the Department of History – University of California at Santa Barbara. 24 October 2003. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  26. ^ a b 瀧澤武雄, 西脇康 「日本史小百科「貨幣」」 東京堂出版、1999年 (in Japanese).
  27. ^ 上隆三 「江戸の貨幣物語」 東洋経済新報社、1996年 (in Japanese).
  28. ^ Charms.ru Coincidences of Vietnam and China cash coins legends. Francis Ng, People's Republic of China, Thuan D. Luc, United States, and Vladimir A. Belyaev, Russia March–June, 1999 Retrieved: 17 June 2017.
  29. ^ Nagasaki bôekisen was unearthed in Vietnam in 1997. Sakuragi Shinichi, "Shutsudo senka kara mita chûsei kahei ryûtsû", 73. (in Japanese)
  30. ^ 「図録 日本の貨幣・全11巻」 東洋経済新報社、1972 – 1976年 (in Japanese).
  31. ^ 「貨幣手帳・日本コインの歴史と収集ガイド」 ボナンザ、1982年 (in Japanese).
  32. ^ "Ryuukyuuan coins". Luke Roberts at the Department of History – University of California at Santa Barbara. 24 October 2003. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.

Sources

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