Catalog
1 Mon 'Kanpyōtaihō'
| Issuer | Imperial Government of Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 890-907 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Mon |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain reverse with a central square perforation flanked by a raised inner rim and an outer raised border encircling a flat, unadorned field. No inscription, decoration, or additional design elements are present, consistent with standard Japanese imperial cast cash coinage of the late Heian period. The surface exhibits a uniform dark brown and grey patination with scattered red cuprite deposits. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Kanpyōtaihō takes its name from the Kanpyō era of Emperor Uda's reign, and it was among the last of Japan's twelve imperially-sanctioned copper cash coins — the Jūnisen — struck before the imperial court abandoned copper coinage entirely for nearly six centuries. The decision to stop minting wasn't gradual deterioration but a deliberate withdrawal: by the late Heian period, rice and cloth had reasserted themselves as the dominant exchange media, and imported Chinese coin filled whatever gaps remained.