Moneta's Temple and Gallery

Japan - Ei Raku Sen, Nobunaga era coin

Moneta — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 15:46:55 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: See Hartill " Early Japanese Coins" ; p. 24 for the details and story involving the famous Nobunaga. These coins were exported from Ming dynasty China in great quantities during the 16th Century. Oda Nobunaga (織田信長, 23 June 1534 – 21 June 1582) known as "Owari no Otsuke" (Fools of Owari), was a Japanese daimyo and one of the leading figures of the Sengoku period. He is regarded as the first "Great Unifier" of Japan. His action in war gave him the nickname of "Oni Daimyo" (Demon King). This was a very trusted and used coin in the Kanto regions, it is not specifically associated with Nobunaga exclusively, it was used during the 15th - 17th centuries. However, Hartill lists it as 'R' or rare. Nobunaga was head of the very powerful Oda clan, and launched a war against other daimyos to unify Japan in the 1560s. Nobunaga emerged as the most powerful daimyo, overthrowing the nominally ruling shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki and dissolving the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573. He conquered most of Honshu island by 1580, and defeated the Ikkō-ikki rebels in the 1580s. Nobunaga's rule was noted for innovative military tactics, fostering of free trade, reforms of Japan's civil government, and the start of the Momoyama historical art period, but also for the brutal suppression of those who refused to cooperate or yield to his demands. Nobunaga was killed in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582, when his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide ambushed him in Kyoto and forced him to commit seppuku. Nobunaga was succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who along with Tokugawa Ieyasu completed his war of unification shortly afterwards. [Wikipedia]

Japan - Akita 9 Momme 2 Fun 1863

Moneta — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:09:48 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: JAPAN. Akita. -1863 AR 9 Momme 2 Fun. PCGS Genuine AU Details - Scratch. 56.5 x 34.64mm, 80gm. Kyu Momme Ni Bu in Hanji characters; stamps reading kai and Yu / Stamps reading Yu and Aki(ta). KM 12; JNDA 09-71; Hartill, Japanese 9.90. Not physically in the Moneta Museum.

Japan - Akita 100 Mon

Moneta — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:36:29 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Akita Tsuba Sen. Ugo (Dewa) Province in NW Honshu, now Akita Prefecture - No date (1863 - 1866). Other interesting issues were cast during this inflationary period, including some in lead, copper-plated lead, and silver. Issued as 100 mon, it quickly was reduced in trade value to 80 mon. Heritage Auction Lot#62156. This is the short-tailed Phoenix version which is more common than a long tailed type. The reverse is a Bagua, also known as Eight Trigrams. The Bagua originated in China, and the trigrams, consisting of three broken or unbroken lines, represent, beginning with the one having three unbroken lines and going counter-clockwise: heaven, lake, fire, thunder, wind, water, mountain, and earth. Trigrams are on the reverse, meaning of which will require some research. Copper, 48 x 52.5 mm by 3 mm thick; mass is 46.02 g. H# 7.2; JNDA 139.10; KM# 6.1 (ND 1862) The shape of this coin is probably based on the 'tsuba', or sword handle guard of the Daimyo of Akita. The Eight Trigrams on the obverse were devised by Fu Xi in about 2800 BC in China. Trigram symbols are used for divination associated with the "I Ching" (Yi Jing, Book of Changes). The reverse depicts a male and female Phoenix used to symbolize good luck. The edge has a stamped "kyu" that indicates the Bunkyu era. JNDA 139.10

Ryukyu Is. - 100 Mon

Moneta — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:15:13 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: OKINAWA - 100 Mon - Gorgeous and rare example and in exceptional condition. I have a counterfeit that is smaller and lighter. This example has two punches on the rim, KM for the common 100 Mon, calls these 'validation' punches. I'm trying to determine if all official issues had this in order to help prevent counterfeiting. This was a extremely common practice in China with most of the inflationary issues of the Tai Ping Rebellion era being of Private mint origins. Be sure to see the 1/2 Shu of Okinawa here in the Moneta Museum. These coins were minted in Bunkyu 2-3 (1862-63) by the Shimazu clan at Isonohama, near Kashogima, the political center for Satsuma and also for the Ryukyu. Ryukyu traders and emissaries frequented the city, and a special Ryukyu embassy building was established there. The coins were originally intended for trade with the Ryukyu but apparently were little used there. It is said that their production was a smokescreen to hide the production of illegal Tempo Value 100 coins. Obverse: Ryu Kyu Tsu Ho (Ryukyu Currency); Rev: To Hyaku (Value 100). The edge here is stamped in two places with the first syllable of Satsuma ( 'sa' ). It's nominal value of 100 mon soon declined to 88 mon. (ed. Hartill "Early Japanese Coins") These issues are recognized as being part of an Asia wide inflationary period that began in China during the Tai Ping Rebellion. KM C#100, Hartill large character variety #6.28. The round Hanshuu Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou (half Shu) was ordered to circulate at the value of 248 mon, or twice the value of this 100 Mon coin. However it weighed merely 8 monme or about 10 to 12 times the weight of the average one mon coin. Han means "half" and "shu" is a gold currency weight. Therefore the Satsuma government was trying to command an exchange rate between copper currency and gold currency. Normally the relative exchange rates of silver, gold and copper currencies were unstable throughout Japan despite government attempts to decree them into one currency system. Thus although at one half shu this coin should have circulated at 32 coins per gold ryou (one koban coin), it is unlikely that it really did so. Info source: Nihon Ginkou Chousakyoku ed., Zuroku Nihon no kahei, vol. 4 (Tokyo: Touyou Keizai Shinpousha, 1973), pp. 319-322. From Luke Robert's "East Asian Cash" website. source: Nihon Ginkou Chousakyoku ed., Zuroku Nihon no kahei, vol. 4 (Tokyo: Touyou Keizai Shinpousha, 1973), pp. 319-322. From Luke Robert's "East Asian Cash" website.

Ryukyu Islands 100 Mon

tkynut — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 16:16:00 -0800

by: tkynut

Description: Fine example of a scarce issue from Okinawa. No date but cast in ~1862. Craig (C#100).

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Ryukyu Islands - Okinawa

Moneta — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 15:30:37 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Sho Tai, 1848-1879. Hanshu Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou - obverse is written Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou in seal script; reverse reads "Han Shu" in seal script (half a Shu). Obverse characters: Ryu Kyu Tsu Ho (Ryukyu Currency) These are relatively scarce. The edge has a ("sa") character stamped, a bit off center, that can best be described as a cross w/double cross hatch (contact me for photo). I have a Ryukyu 100 Mon which is gorgeous example. To see this and another example go to Ancient>Oriental Cast>Japan>Ryukyu Islands - here's a link: /showgallery.php?cat=734 The round Hanshuu Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou was ordered to circulate at the value of 248 mon, or twice the value of the 100 mon coin. However it weighed merely 8 monme or about 10 to 12 times the weight of the average one mon coin. Han means "half" and "shu" is a gold currency weight. Therefore the Satsuma government was trying to command an exchange rate between copper currency and gold currency. Normally the relative exchange rates of silver, gold and copper currencies were unstable throughout Japan despite government attempts to decree them into one currency system. Thus although at one half shu this coin should have circulated at 32 coins per gold ryou (one koban coin), it is unlikely that it really did so. See David Hartill's ""Early Japanese Coins" for details and different story/history. Source: Nihon Ginkou Chousakyoku ed., Zuroku Nihon no kahei, vol. 4 (Tokyo: Touyou Keizai Shinpousha, 1973), pp. 319-322. From Luke Robert's "East Asian Cash" website. Made by Satsuma Domain, which also controlled Okinawa at that time. The value of the coin was intended tobe 1/32 Ryō. However, at the time the exchange rate was around 6700 Mon for 1 Ryō, resulting the value above 200 Mon. It is said that the coin was intended for the double vale of the Tōhyaku coin. Half a shu was the equivelant of 125 mon, however the value quickly declined to half of that (62.5 mon). [Numista.com] A variety of this type is described as: (S Album auction #21 Lot 1550, Jan 2015) RYUKYUS: Iyemochi, 1858-1866, AE � shu, ND (1863), Cr-115, H-6.29var, with character shu stamped on the edge, tall thick characters. I can confirm that the characters appear slightly larger and are thicker, thus the Hartill H-29 var designator.

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