Why is there a hole in a Japanese coin? Ancient coins of Japan. Japanese coins: name, description and value Japanese coins 1

Those who type in the search engine the phrase "Japanese coin with a hole" will be amazed at the number of links to sources of information that have dropped out. The worst thing to confuse is that identical-looking coins have completely different names. Let's take a quick look at some of the ancient coins that circulated on the territory of modern Japan.

japanese sen

When the Japanese state was called not “Nippon”, but “Yamato”, coins brought from neighboring countries began to spread on its territory. Most often, they were from China. These are Chinese qian, whose progenitor was copper rings. The local princes liked the coins and turned into legal tender. From the Chinese "qian" and got the name of the first Japanese coins, which became known as "sen" ("sena"). The year 708 is considered the beginning of the countdown for the circulation of own money in Japan. Remember that sen is a cast coin, the period of its issue extends until 958. You can stumble upon the mention of units derived from hay - bitasen and simasen. In translation, both names have a negative connotation. Bitasens are "bad sen" that were made by those who had skillful hands. In fact, these are copies of Chinese coins to the detriment of circulation. Shimasen are "wrong sen". They were no longer cast by single handicraftsmen for their own enrichment, but by cities or principalities to create their own payment system. Any metal that was at hand was used. Experienced merchants have seen that although the coins resemble genuine ones, they are still not the same (hence the name). However, in those days they did not scatter metal, so they accepted everything: fakes, local issues, and Chinese coins. Only at a lower rate. After all, there was always a chance to give some simpleton or in the dark the wrong coin under the guise of a real one. The reason for the cessation of production is called the depletion of copper mines. However, the hay was destined for a second birth when it became the exchange unit of the Yen.

Japanese mon

In appearance, this coin is similar to sen, but appeared much later. For the manufacture, mainly copper was used. But where copper was in short supply, other metals were also used. Her walk began with the Muromachi period in 1336, and ended not so long ago - in 1870. An interesting fact is the fate of coins that have gone out of circulation. All collected coins were loaded onto ships and sent to China. The merchants of Guangzhou accepted them, so that the outcome of the operation was considered a success. Perhaps Charles de Gaulle was inspired by this example when he sent a ship loaded with US dollars to the shores of America to be exchanged for gold.

Japanese kanmon

Actually, this is not one coin, but coins strung in a bundle (for which the central hole was made). The rate of those times was one kanmon for 100 hiki or for 1000 mon, from which one can judge the number of coins in a bunch. But not everything is so clear. You can find a mention of the principle "Wholesale is cheaper." During the Edo period (1615-1868), coins strung on string were valued more than placers. The exchange rate was one hundred single coins for ninety-four coins in a bundle.

Tokugawa Monetary System (Oban, Koban, Ichibuban)

Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601 unified the entire walker that operated in Japan at that time. It was not easy, because each specific prince issued his own coins. Metals and weight in them were very different. Ieyasu began by issuing gold and silver coins.

Oban was the largest denomination in existence. It looked like an oval made of gold. It is not an invention of Ieyasu, since for the first time such coins appeared back in 1588. The components of an oban were ten ryo or ten kobans. Ryo was a weight unit (fifteen grams), so the coin incarnation went to the koban.

Koban is also oval and also golden. It quickly lost its initial parity with ryo, as the output from the release of gold in it became less and less. Sometimes it got ridiculous. Merchants were more willing to take fake kobans of previous years than official genuine kobans of new issues, because there was more gold in the fakes.

« You will get two hundred and fifty koku rice a year,” Kawabata said, and closed his eyes for a second, counting something. - In your dollars it's something like forty thousand". The lines of Viktor Pelevin reflect the tradition of paying by weight. At the time of the arrival of the Portuguese in Japan, one koban corresponded to three koku of rice. First of all, foreign merchants were offered the opportunity to pay with rice, but they were not surprised by rice, so they switched to settlements in kobans. So the koban was destined to turn into a kind of "foreign currency ruble". This currency still exists in folklore. If you hear “neko ni koban” (“chervonets for a cat”), this is tantamount to saying “throwing pearls in front of pigs.”

Ichibuban (or ichibugin) is a quarter of ryo or a quarter of the original koban. They could be minted both from gold (4.5 grams, which contained 85.6% gold diluted with 14.2% silver), and from silver (8.66 grams, where the admixture of gold was 0.21%). Their fate depended on it. Gold coins were accepted at face value, silver - only by weight. Two itibubans made up a nibuban (nibōgin). According to Galina Navlitskaya, the prototypes of these coins were tegin and mameytagin. Mametagin was made in the form of small cylinders eight to nine millimeters high and weighing about one and a half grams.

At that time, such a thing as "tsutsumi kingin" appeared. In the modern world, this corresponds to the term " bank packaging". A certain amount of money was wrapped in Japanese paper "washi". The seal of the responsible person was put on the bundle. It was considered extremely indecent to open the bundle and count the coins. The responsible person guaranteed not only the number of coins, but also the absence of fakes and non-standard copies among them.

Jena, familiar to the modern world, appeared only in 1869. She got her name from the word "round". It was already a tribute to the Western world, whose coins were of just such a shape. But yen we will tell some other time.

Today, Japanese yens are of great interest among various banks, speculators, large investors, and among collectors. The former appreciate it for its stability, and the latter for its beautiful design, especially commemorative coins. But how far has the yen traveled in its relatively short life span? This article will tell about this.

or Chinese?

The history of the development of money in Japan repeats the Chinese, only with a certain delay. The reason for this is the policy of isolation, which the Japanese rulers have tried to adhere to for centuries. For example, it is believed that the first coins began to appear in China in the 10th century BC. At the same time, the Japanese paid each other with rice, as well as other valuable goods, even arrowheads were used. Again, the first coins came to Japan from the continent. Even the name of the modern yen comes from the Chinese word "yuan". In total, until the 8th century, coins came to Japan from the mainland. It was in the 8th century that the first Japanese coins began to appear. They were exactly like the Chinese ones, both in terms of size and in terms of appearance.

First attempts

In the Middle Ages in Japan, there were a lot of all sorts of coins that are simply impossible to list at a time. The first attempts to create at least a semblance of their own monetary system were carried out during the Tokugawa shogunate in the 17th century. Then coins were issued from gold, silver and bronze, which were exchanged at a completely changeable rate and did not have any hard peg. In the middle of the 19th century, Japan stopped adhering to the policy of isolation from the Western world, which became almost fatal for its economy.

The fact is that in the Land of the Rising Sun the ratio of gold to silver was 1:5, while in Europe it was 1:15. Merchants began to massively buy gold and take it out of the country. To try to resolve this situation, the Mexican dollar was introduced into circulation, which began to be minted in Japan. Meanwhile, numerous feudal governments began to issue their own coins. Japanese finances began to actively feverish, and any money began to depreciate.

The appearance of the yen

The only solution in this situation was the introduction of a single monetary system, but this meant the creation of a centralized government, which did not suit the various Japanese feudal rulers. It was only after the Boshin War (Japanese Civil War of 1868-1869) and the victory of the forces that supported the imperial power that it became possible to carry out monetary reforms.

The main problem was the complete absence of any monetary system. The authorities had to seize everything and create a single national currency, which became the yen. They minted it in the image and likeness of the same Mexican dollar. She was tied to both gold and silver. This was done to prevent new currency collapses. A little later, this peg was canceled, and Japanese coins began to be equated with gold and the US dollar.

Yen now

The modern history of the yen began after the end of World War II. Japan was defeated by the allies to smithereens, the economy was in ruins. Along with the heavily devalued yen, the occupying authorities introduced the currency of the same name only marked "series B". According to the exchange rate, one dollar was worth 360 yen. After the end of the occupation of Japan by the allies and the subsequent economic growth, the Japanese currency began to strengthen in the world market. The popularity of the yen is evidenced by the fact that for several decades it was the second most important in the world.

At the moment, coins are in circulation in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100 and 500 yen. The 1 yen coins are made of aluminum. Its obverse depicts a young tree, the denomination and the name of the country, and on the reverse there is also the denomination and year of manufacture. 5 yen are made from an alloy of copper and zinc. The obverse has the denomination and ears of rice, and the reverse shows the name of the country and the year of manufacture. The 10 yen coins are also made of an alloy of copper and zinc, but with a small addition of tin. On its obverse, in addition to the denomination and the name of the country, the famous Byodo-in Buddhist temple, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, is depicted. The reverse shows the denomination and the year of manufacture.

50 yen are made of the so-called cupronickel (an alloy of copper and nickel), as well as coins with a face value of 100 yen. By the way, their appearance is not much different: both have the denomination and the name of the country on the obverse, and the denomination and year of manufacture on the reverse. These coins differ in the flowers that are depicted on them. At 50 yen, it's a chrysanthemum, and at 100 yen, it's sakura. In addition, 50 yen coins have a hole in the middle.

The largest of the 500 yen coins in circulation were issued from different metals in different years. The coins of 1982 were made from the same cupronickel, and those that began to be issued in 2000 are composed of copper, zinc and nickel. And the appearance is the same: on the obverse are the denomination, the name of the country and paulownia, and on the reverse - the denomination, bamboo, tangerine and the year of manufacture.

How much are Japanese coins worth? Of course, it all depends on what the circulation was, whether the yen is dedicated to some significant event, the metal from which it is made, antiquity, and so on. In addition, her condition affects her.

For example, 1 rin of the issue of 1883 may have a price in the range from 370 to 1902 rubles, depending on the state of preservation. One of the most expensive Japanese coins is considered to be 10,000 yen in 1986. They were issued in an edition of 10,000,000 pieces in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Hirohito. The coins were made of 999 silver, weigh 20 grams and have a diameter of 35 millimeters. The cost ranges from 8,000 to 11,300 rubles per unit.

The commemorative 1000 yen of 2003 is also highly valued. Their circulation is very small - only 50,000 copies. They were released in honor of the 50th anniversary of the annexation of the Amami Islands to Japan. On the Japanese coins issued in that significant year, a color image of a bird and a flower is placed. They are also made of sterling silver 999, weigh 31 grams and have a diameter of 40 millimeters. The price of commemorative coins ranges from 400 to 600 rubles per unit.

Coins of Japan

Club "Numismatist" offers in the catalog to choose coins of Japan for your collection - ancient and modern. We have pleasant prices and conditions for buying or exchanging coins.

Coins of the Edo period

In 1603, the power of the shoguns, military rulers, was established in Japan. This period of Japanese history is called the Edo period.

There were more than one and a half thousand varieties of coins in circulation, and they were mostly rectangular in shape. The material for their manufacture was gold, silver and copper.

From 1853 to 1868 small silver ones were in circulation.

The 4 shu were commensurate with the larger bu coin used from 1859 to 1858.

Meiza era coins

In 1868 - 1869. in Japan, the power of the shoguns is a thing of the past. Imperial rule is established in the state. Modern round coins - yen - are introduced into circulation. The name of the coins comes from the Japanese "en" - round.

Yen from gold and silver was printed in 1869 - 1871 and was divided into one hundred Sen and one thousand Rin. The Seine and Rhine went out of circulation in 1954.

Coins of Japan from the time of Karafuto

After the war of 1904-1904 with Russia, South Sakhalin was ceded to Japan, where Karafuto Prefecture was formed (1907). It existed until 1945.

The coinage of the first half of the 20th century in Japan was difficult because there was not enough metal.

Japan 47 Prefecture Commemorative Coin Program

The commemorative coin minting program was launched in 2008 and was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of local government in Japan. It was planned to mint 47 issues of coins in two denominations: 500 yen (bimetallic: an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel) and 1000 yen ( silver), one for each prefecture.

We draw the attention of numismatists to popular Japanese commemorative coins, such as the silver commemorating the Tokyo Olympics and the silver commemorating the Sapporo Olympics.

In our catalog of Japanese coins, you can verify their availability by photo and buy the necessary copies.

Ancient coins of Japan of local rulers

The first gold coin that circulated only in a certain area was issued by Koshu Takeda, the ruler of the Kai region. The region was known as the largest gold mining area during the Sengoku period (late 15th century to late 16th century).

At the end of the Sengoku period, the growing demand for money, which the local princes needed to fight feudal wars, provoked an interest in gold and silver mining. This led to the fact that various types of gold and silver coins began to be minted throughout the country. The gold that Mr. Takeda mined on his lands allowed him to mint round and rectangular gold coins of very good quality. Coins from the Kai region were called "Koshu kin". The distinctive feature of "Koshu kin" was that their exchange value was equal to their gold weight, which was indicated on the obverse side of the coin.

The face value of the coin in the picture (see above) is 1 Ryo. The units of measurement adopted for "Koshu kin" were as follows:

1 ryo=about 15g

1 shuchu=1/2 shu

1 item=1/2 shuchu

1 item=1/2 item

1 koitomechu=1/2 koitome

Since the value was indicated on the coin, all values ​​were multiples of two or four. The units of ryō, bu, and shu (all divisible by four) were subsequently incorporated into the Edo period monetary system as monetary units for gold coins.

Feudal Japan coins issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Tensho Oban is a Japanese coin that was issued at the end of the 16th century by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

In 1590, Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to power in Japan. He seized a large amount of gold and silver, took control of the entire country and began minting new gold and silver coins. This coinage was followed by the all-Japanese unification of money by Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Edo period. The oban coin was generally not used for everyday transactions. In general, in principle, they did not pay her, but used them for awards and gifts. The inscription on the front side of the oban indicates its value - 10 Ryo. However, 10 Ryo here is not equivalent to the face value, but to the weight of the coin (165g). The Japanese Oban coin, 17 cm long and 10 cm wide, is considered one of the largest existing gold coins in the world.

Japanese coins from the reign of the Tokugawa shogunate

The monetary system of Japan, established by the government of the Tokugawa shogunate, was based on three types of coins made of gold, silver and copper. In an attempt to monopolize the power to issue money and unify the shape and size of coins, the government of the Tokugawa shogunate created a common currency system for the entire country. The Shogunate set an equal value for all Japanese gold coins, which was calculated in proportion to the value of 1 koban equal to 1 Ryo. Silver coins were valued by weight, the unit was mom "me equivalent to 3.75 grams. Copper coins were used for exchange along with gold ones.

The emergence of paper money in Japan

The first Japanese paper money appeared in Ise, Yamada District (now Ise City, Mie Prefecture), where trade has been conducted since medieval times.

Yamada Hagaki, medieval paper money, was issued by private individuals and used instead of silver coins for small exchanges; they were issued in the form of a receipt. The number of Yamada Hagaki was controlled by a special department of merchants, as well as Shinto priests in the Ise Gegu Shrine (one of the two temple buildings), they also issued paper currency. Such a monetary system, well-established and stable, gained public confidence, and Yamada Hagaki became widespread in the Yamada region. Paper money was also issued in neighboring regions of Japan, and the use of paper money as a medium of exchange ( Fuda-zukai) has become a common practice among merchants in the Kinki region.

Japanese gold coins of the Edo period

Japan's first gold coin, issued by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 6th year of Keicho for national use (1601).

In 1600, immediately after the victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu officially established "Kinza" - "Gold Mint" and "Ginza" - "Silver Mint" for minting gold and silver coins. The Koban and Ichibu kin were minted as gold coins, while the units of the old Japanese Koshu kin coins (Ryo and Bu) were used to express the value of the new ones. The koban in the picture above is stamped with the maker's name with his signature - "Goto Shozaburo Mitsutsugu" (shortly "Mitsutsugu") and the denomination of the coin - 1 Ryo. Starting from the year 8 of Genroku (1695), when the first re-minting took place, until the year 1 of the Mangyen era (1860), the Koban coin was re-minted as many as eight times!

Japanese Koban coins from the Edo era

Koban coins issued during the Edo period.

During the Edo period, the amount of gold and silver coins in circulation was adjusted by the government about 8 times. The first measures to increase the production of coins were taken in the 8th year of Genroku (1695). However, an increase in the money supply inevitably led to inflation, then, on the advice of AraiHakuseki, Kinza and Ginza began to mint coins with a high gold content. These Koban were called Shotoku Koban and Kyoho Koban. With the advent of Shotoku and Kyoho coins, the amount of money in circulation was sharply reduced, as the government of the shogunate set the face value of the minted coins to be twice as high as the previous ones. So, for one new koban they demanded two old ones. This slowed down the pace of economic activity and provided for deflation.

Reflation in the country by increasing the money supply was carried out by the government of the shogunate in the year 1 Gembun (1736). These measures were taken at the suggestion of a prominent adviser to the shogun, Ogyu Sorai. As a result, the Gembun Koban issued at that time continued to circulate in the country for the next 80 years, revitalizing the Japanese economy.

By the end of the Edo period, coins began to be issued more and more often - the government of the shogunate again overtook the shortage. Coban gradually lost its value with the increase in output, which, in the end, led the country to the deepest inflation. The Man'en Koban, the last coin issued during the Edo period, was extremely small in size, and contained only 1/8th of the silver content of the Keicho Koban.

Japanese gold coinage (Edo period)

These scrolls show the process of minting Koban coins from the Edo period in the Kinza gold court.

During the Edo period, Koban and Ichibu Kin (other gold coins except for Oban) were minted at the Kinza mints.

Kinza until the beginning of the Genroku era were located in Edo, Kyoto and Sado (late 17th century). Genroku (1695) they began to concentrate in Edo (now Tokyo). Today, the main office of the Bank of Japan is located in one of the places where the Kinza Mint once was.

Oban coins were minted in Obanza, and silver money - in Ginza (translated as "Silver Mint").

Gold ingots were first heated in a fire to make them soft, and then with the help of hammers the ingots were turned into thin oblong plates.

Oblong plates (the so-called "bu sao") were cut into pieces of the same size and weight.

Then the gold sheets were cut, tapped with a special hammer and fired. This was the rough form of the Japanese coin.

At the next stage, the koban went to the final minting, with the help of which all the irregularities were removed and the coin was given the desired shape.

The coins were polished with sand and dyed with various chemicals. Then the koban were burned, washed first in salt water and then in fresh water. After that, the gold color of the coin became very bright.

When minting was completed, all coins were checked for compliance with the accepted shape and weight. Each coin was stamped, which confirmed its authenticity and compliance with all standards.

Silver coins of Japan from the Edo period

Low quality silver coins issued during the Genroku-Hoei era. Such coins were called "Yotsuho Chogin" because they had four stamps with the sign "Ho", which stands for "Hoei" (the era when the coin was minted).

Poor quality gold and silver coins were issued one after another in the era Genroku-Hōei(the so-called period of minting new coins) to cover the budget deficit of the government of the shogunate. The silver content of the Hoei Yotsuho Chogin coins was drastically reduced to only 20%, while at the beginning of the Edo period the Keicho Chogin and Mameitagin coins were 80% pure silver. In order to stabilize the exchange rate of silver against gold, the government tried to issue high quality coins in the early 18th century, but this did not lead to anything. The rate stabilized only in 1717, when the use of cheap HoeiChogin was banned.

Maintaining a stable rate of silver coins in relation to gold became the most important monetary issue of those times.

Fixed value Japanese silver coins from the Edo period.

The first silver coin whose value was directly related to gold coins.

In an attempt to establish a stable exchange rate for silver against gold, the government of the Tokugawa shogunate in the year 2 of Meiwa (1765) first issued a silver coin with a fixed denomination of 1/12 ryo. This Japanese coin was called Gomon "me gin. However, the exchange houses did not support Gomonme. They feared that the policy would lead to a reduction in profits by eliminating gold and silver exchange operations. Then in the 9th year of Meiwa (1772) Meiwa Nanryo Nishu gin was minted - a silver coin with a fixed value.It was established that 8 Nanryo Nishu equals 1 koban.A clear exchange rate allowed them to be used not only in Edo, where gold coins were not uncommon, but also outside of it, for example, in Kansai.In fact, silver coins became an auxiliary The Meiwa Nanryo Nishu gin had a stamp on the front of the Meiwa Nanryo Nishu gin, which read "8 coins can be exchanged for a 1 ryo koban", and one such coin was equivalent to one kin Nishu (1/8 ryo)."Nanryo" literally means "silver of excellent quality", and this coin was indeed composed almost entirely of pure silver.

Tsutsumi kingin - Japanese coins for large transactions

Pack of 50 Tempo Kobans Edo period	Pack of three silver coins Edo period

"Tsutsumi kingin" - These are sealed packages containing a certain amount of gold and silver coins. They were used to pay for a large number of transactions and made it possible to carry out monetary transactions without counting small coins.

Such paper packages were sealed at the Gold or Silver Mint, as well as in private exchange houses, which were called Ryogaesho (Ryogaesho): a certain amount of money was placed in a paper bag, and their value was written in ink on its front side. Tsutsumi Kingin were widely circulated as a medium of exchange during large transactions. Their value was not in doubt and was guaranteed by the high reputation of the mints. So no one even thought about checking whether the amount was written or not.

Japanese copper coins from the Edo period

Copper coins issued by the government of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Although the government of the Tokugawa shogunate sought to unify Japan's monetary system by issuing gold and silver coins, Toraisen copper coins were still in use, as their share of circulation was too large to be able to replace them. In the 13th year of Kan'ei (1636), the government of the Tokugawa shogunate decided to unify all the copper coins of Japan and issued Kan "ei Tsuho - the same round coin with a square hole in the center that came to Japan at the very beginning of their monetary history. As a result, these coins continued to be issued for 200 years to cover the growing demand for copper money.

In the second half of the Edo period, the quality of Kan'ei Tsuho deteriorated sharply due to an increase in their output. Then they began to mint coins from brass and TempoTsuhoHyakumonsen, a large copper coin. Its denomination was 100 mon, although in reality, the copper that was used in the manufacture of the coin was worth about five and a half mon.

Oban is an oval gold Japanese coin.

(1601)	(1725)	Man "en Oban (1860)

Oban are Japanese special gold coins used as awards and gifts.

Oban was a large gold coin, which was minted primarily for awards and gifts. This explains why the denomination of the coin (10 ryo), as well as the attribution of the mint and the name of the maker, were written in ink on the obverse side of the coin, and therefore could easily be erased.

10 ryo was then equal to 165 grams of gold and was not equivalent to the value of 10 koban. So if the oban was used as a medium of exchange, the coin was valued for its gold content. For example, Kyoho Oban cost 7 ryo and 2 bu (7.5 ryo).