Moneta's Temple and Gallery

Japan - Akita - Phoenix Long Tail 100 Mon

Moneta — Fri, 25 May 2018 14:48:16 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: Akita Tsuba Sen. Ugo (Dewa) Province in NW Honshu, now Akita Prefecture - No date (~182 - 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. This is the Long-tailed Phoenix version which is scarcer than a short tailed version. Two Phoenix are shown, one amle, the other female. Trigrams are on the reverse, meaning of which will require some research. Copper, 47.5 x 52 mm by 3 mm thick; mass is 44.8 g. H# 7.3; JNDA 139.10A; KM# 6.2 (ND 1862); my observations indicate the Long Tailed types may be a little smaller and lighter than the Short tailed coin, which might indicate that it's a later cast. 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 should be stamped "kyu" that indicates the Bunkyu era, but it's missing in this example. See my example of the Phoenix with Short Tail version here in the Museum. This specimen, and every one is different, appears uncirculated. The finished coin was well filed, knocking off high points and creating a very smooth rim and edge.

Japan - Koshu Ichi-Bu Kin type - FAKE

Moneta — Sun, 25 Jun 2017 13:44:51 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: I initially thought this was some kind of 'coin weight' from China. In fact, you may find this listed elsewhere in the Museum as that, although I couldn't find it. Then I came upon a listing for this type of coin under Japan Provincial coinage for Koshu. The problem is, while they look just like this coin, all are made of gold and this clearly looks like brass. In the west (see Italy 20 Lire coin weight), brass look alikes are known to be used as 'coin weights' to confirm gold coins on a balance scale. See KM's SCWC for the wide variety of these coins in many different weights of gold. This appears to be like the ICHI-BU KIN (one Bu Gold) shown in KM. The diameter is about right but the gold weight should be 3.70 - 4.0 gram (14-17 mm), while this brass copy is 15.5 mm and weighs only 2.43 g., so it wouldn't make a good coin weight for any of the types shown in KM. It's a obvious fake! But what follows is a fascinating history of these coins: Takeda Shingen’s Koshu-Kin Coins、 Koshu-kin (Koshu Gold) was Japan’s first systematic gold coinage to be minted. Cast until the Edo Period Bunsei era (1804-1829) the coins were originally circulated through Takeda Shingen’s province of Kai (Yamanashi). Around the edge of the coins were small raised dots, giving the impression of the nail studs holding the stretched skins across a Taiko drum, and for this reason, they were also known as taikoban. These were difficult to forge, and hence coined the phrase (pun intended!) “Taiko-ban o-su”, meaning “undeniably”, or “Without a doubt”.　Modern day 500 Yen coins feature the same denticles around the outer rim. Although the actual origin of the Koshu Gold is unknown, it is believed the coins were minted by four families using gold taken from Kai provinces deep mines. The coins were apparently first used by Takeda Shingen to pay for a manuscript of the Tale of Genji, with remaining records showing that he paid 5 of the cold coins for the exchange.

Japan - Akita 100 Mon - Short Tail

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. 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. See my example of the rarer Phoenix with Long Tail version here in the Museum.

Japan - 100 Mon

Moneta — Sun, 12 Jan 2014 09:23:45 -0800

by: Moneta

Description: Tempo Tsuho - 100 Mon. No date, but these were issued between 1835 and 1870, which transcends the typical dates for inflationary period issues of China and Korea. All these Asian states produced inflationary Cash, Mun, and Mon (& others) in response to economic conditions. China produced them in response to the Tai P'ing Rebellion as a way to help pay for the war against these rebels. The 100 Mon coin was the official coin of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Obverse, vertical inscription: Ten-Ho (Tempo) Tsu-Ho. Reverse: To Hyaku (value 100). Edge is smooth, often with file marks and two validation marks. Cast at Edo (Tokyo), Osaka and some provincial mints (Yamaguchi, this one with 'short feet' on the bottom obverse character, "ho"). Large center hole. Varieties exist and can be worth a considerable premium to the specialist collector. This is a nice example that has minor corrosion and has a nice edge stamps (2, look like a leaf, Yamaguchi mint) on the edge. These are common, but like most of the inflationary issues, were produced privately as counterfeits, often of degraded quality. The customary Royal Paulownia Leaf Seal (桐葉) stamped into both sides. Bronze, Hartill # 5.9; KM C#7, 32 x 49 mm, 2.5 mm thick and mass is 21.82 g.

Okinawa - 100 Mon

Moneta — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:48:00 -0700

by: Moneta

Description: This is a really nice example of this scarce coin. It's from the inflationary period of large coinage. The Taiping Rebellion in China appears to have had an effect throughout Asia. Inset into the image is an edge photo of the symbol punched into the edge (SA = Satsuma). The rim bumps are where the edge punches are, this coin has two punches, one on each long edge. I have seen fakes (very poor) of these and the edge stamp is missing. The 1/2 Shu piece has a very similar stamp. The 100 mon Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou pictured was first manufactured in Kagoshima (Satsuma domain) 1863 for circulation within the Ryuukyuus and in Satsuma domain itself. Like the Tenpou Tsuuhou upon which it was modeled, its face value was 100 mon but its weight was merely 6 to 7 times that of a 1 mon coin. Furthermore, even though the face value was 100 mon the Satsuma government ordered that it circulate at the value of 124 mon (go figure!). This made it a profitable coin to manufacture, but was not well received in circulation. From Luke Robert's "East Asian Cash" website. 49.6 x 33.2 mm, 19 gm. Copper 100 Mon is without date but cast in 1862 - 1863. KM# is C# 100 (Craig). This is a much better coin than the one in KM.

Kuan Ei Tsu Ho 21 Nami (Japan)

Chinacash — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:20:25 -0800

by: Chinacash

Description: 4 Mon Kuan Ei Tsu Ho coin. 1768 "First Version" with 21 waves (nami) on the reverse. Later versions only have 11 waves. Diam: 27.5mm, 5.1g

Kuan Ei Tsu Ho (Japan)

Chinacash — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:17:22 -0800

by: Chinacash

Description: 1 Mon Kuan Ei Tsu Ho coin, "New Style", cast 1668 to 1768. The legs of the Ho character sprout from the bottom corners of the character, rather than meeting in the centre as in the Old Style coins. Diam: 25.1mm, 3.2g

Kuan Ei Tsu Ho (Japan)

Chinacash — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:13:40 -0800

by: Chinacash

Description: 1 Mon Kuan Ei Tsu Ho coin, "Old Style" cast pre 1668. The legs of the Ho character join to fom an inverted V. Diam: 24.3mm, 2.8g

Ho Ei Tsu Ho (Japan)

Chinacash — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:09:07 -0800

Ryukyu Islands - Okinawa

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

by: Moneta

Description: Hanshu Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou - obverse is written Ryuukyuu Tsuuhou in seal script; reverse reads "han shu" in seal script. These are relatively scarce. The edge has a character stamped, a bit off center, that can best be described as a cross w/double cross hatch (contact me for photo). Obtained from J. Lepzck (late 70's) so it's authentic. Be sure to see the exceptional associated 100 Mon piece. 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 exhange 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. 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.