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1 Mon 'Sendai-tsūhō' Bosen, small type
| Issuer | Sendai Domain |
|---|---|
| Year | 1784 |
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| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Square with rounded corners (With a square hole) |
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| Obverse description | Square flan with rounded corners featuring a central square hole. Four Chinese characters arranged in a cruciform pattern around the central aperture, reading clockwise from the top: 仙 (Sen), 通 (tsū), 臺 (dai), 寶 (hō), forming the legend 'Sendai-tsūhō' (仙臺通寶), meaning 'Sendai Currency'. The characters are rendered in a bold, raised relief typical of Japanese cast coinage of the Edo period. The field between the characters and the central hole is plain, with a slightly raised rim framing the square outer edge. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
Sendai Domain received shogunal authorization to mint its own copper coinage in 1784, one of the few han granted this privilege during the Edo period. The Sendai-tsūhō was produced to address a chronic shortage of small-denomination currency in the Tōhoku region, where Edo-issued mon coinage circulated unevenly at best. The "small type" designation reflects a deliberate reduction in flan size from the domain's earlier issues — a cost-saving measure tied directly to rising copper procurement costs in the late 18th century.
Sendai's copper came primarily from mines in Mutsu Province, giving the domain unusual vertical control over its own monetary supply.