Catalog
1 Mon 'Shōseigenpō' Seal Script
| Issuer | Nagasaki, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1668-1685 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Mon |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Completely plain and featureless reverse, bearing no inscription, decoration, or mint mark. A raised rim encircles the smooth, flat field, which surrounds the central square hole. The unadorned reverse is typical of Nagasaki cast copper mon coinage of the late seventeenth century. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Nagasaki City mints produced these cash coins under a system of licensed private casting that set them apart from the centrally authorized Kan'ei Tsūhō series dominating the rest of Japan. The Shōseigenpō issues were struck under Chinese merchant supervision — the Tōjin, or Tang-people, quarter in Nagasaki had sufficient commercial autonomy to influence coin production directly, reflecting the city's unique role as the sole legal conduit for Chinese trade during the Edo period's seclusion policy.
The seal-script legends on this type are a direct nod to the Chinese overseer aesthetic, distinguishing it from standard Japanese coin epigraphy of the period.