List of Japanese cash coins by inscription

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]

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

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 lead 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]

Tomimotosen

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 Tomimotosen coinage (富元銭), 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 Tomimotosen copper coins.[11] The first official cash coinage was struck in 708.

InscriptionKanjiImage
Tomimoto富本

Kōchōsen
Main article: Japanese currency

Early Kōchōsen

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".

InscriptionKyūjitaiNominal valueMetalImage
Wadōkaichin和同開珎Copper, Silver
Mannentsūhō万年通寶10 Wadōkaichin cash coinsCopper
Taiheigenbō大平元寶10 copper coinsSilver
Kaikishōhō開基勝寶10 silver coinsGold

Last Kōchōsen

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 Kangen Daihō (乾元大寶), which soon fell into disuse.[11]

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

InscriptionKyūjitaiShinjitaiYear of introduction
(Gregorian calendar)		Image
Jingō Kaihō神功開寳神功開宝765
Ryūhei Eihō隆平永寳隆平永宝796
Fuju Shinpō富寿神寳富寿神宝818
Jōwa Shōhō貞和昌寳貞和昌宝835
Chōnen Taihō長年大寳長年大宝848
Nyōyaku Shinpō饒益神寳饒益神宝859
Jōgan Eihō貞観永寳貞観永宝870
Kanpyō Taihō寛平大寳寛平大宝890
Engi Tsūhō延喜通寳延喜通宝907
Kangen Daihō乹元大寳乹元大宝958

Toraisen, Shichūsen, and Bitasen

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

InscriptionKyūjitaiShinjitaiImage
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
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
Main article: Japanese mon (currency)

List of cash coins issued by the Tokugawa shogunate

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]

InscriptionKyūjitaiShinjitaiYear of introduction
(Gregorian calendar)		Nengō
(Japanese calendar)		Denomination(s)Image
Keichō Tsūhō[17]慶長通寳慶長通宝1606Keichō 111 mon
Genna Tsūhō[18]元和通寳元和通宝1616Genna 21 mon
Kan’ei Tsūhō[19][20]寛永通寳寛永通宝1626 (1 mon)[lower-alpha 1]
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1708Hōei 510 mon
Tenpō Tsūhō[22][23]天保通寳天保通宝1835Tenpō 6100 mon
Bunkyū Ēhō[24][25]文久永寳文久永宝1863Bunkyū 34 mon

List of Nagasaki trade coins
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)		FontJapanese
(Romaji)		Mandarin
(Hànyǔ Pīnyīn)		Vietnamese
(chữ Quốc ngữ)		Image[lower-alpha 2]
元豊通寳元豊通宝Clerical script, Semi-cursive script, Seal scriptGenpō TsūhōYuán Fēng Tōng BǎoNguyên Phong Thông Bảo
天聖元寳天聖元宝Regular scriptTensei GenpōTiān Shèng Yuán BǎoThiên Thánh Nguyên Bảo
祥符元寳祥符元宝Regular scriptShofu GenpōXiáng Fú Yuán BǎoTường Phù Nguyên Bảo
嘉祐通寳嘉祐通宝Regular scriptKayū TsūhōJiā Yòu Tōng BǎoGia Hựu Thông Bảo
熈寧元寳煕寧元宝Regular script, Seal scriptKinei GenpōXī Níng Yuán BǎoHi Ninh Nguyên Bảo
紹聖元寳紹聖元宝Seal scriptShōsei GenpōShào Shèng Yuán BǎoThiệu Thánh Nguyên Bảo
治平元寳治平元宝Seal scriptJihei GenpōZhì Píng Yuán BǎoTrị 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

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][32][33][34]

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

InscriptionKyūjitaiShinjitaiDomainImage
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

Notes
  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
  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. "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. Armstrong Economics Monetary History of Japan. Retrieved: 30 June 2017.
  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. Japan Currency Museum (日本貨幣博物館) permanent exhibit
  12. 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. Shin'ichi Sakuraki, Dr. Helen Wang, and Peter Kornicki, with Nobuhisa Furuta, Timon Screech, and Joe Cribb (2010). "Catalogue of the Japanese Coin Collection (pre-Meiji) at the British Museum with special reference to Kutsuki Masatsuna" (PDF). ISBN 978 086159 174 9. ISSN 1747-3640. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  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. 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. 瀧澤武雄，西脇康 『日本史小百科「貨幣」』 東京堂出版、1999年 (in Japanese).
  33. "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.
  34. Japan Currency Museum (日本貨幣博物館) permanent exhibit

Sources
  • Early Japanese Coins. David Hartill. ISBN 978-0-7552-1365-8, Published: October 6, 2011.
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