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1 Mon 'Wadōkaichin' old type, silver
| Issuer | Imperial Japanese Government |
|---|---|
| Year | 708 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 7.9 g |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 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 | 和 珎 同 開 (Translation: Our/Japanese copper + Inaugural Coin (read clockwise)) |
| Reverse description | Plain and featureless reverse with a central square hole aligned with the obverse perforation, enclosed within a raised inner rim and an outer border rim. The flat field bears no inscription, decoration, or mint mark. The casting surface shows the characteristic texture associated with early Japanese bronze and silver cash-type coinage. The simplicity of the reverse is consistent with the conventions of Tang-influenced East Asian cast coinage of the Nara period. |
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| Additional information |
The Wadōkaichín — Japan's first officially minted coinage — was ordered by Empress Genmei in 708 following the discovery of copper deposits in Musashi Province, the name itself meaning "Japanese copper." Silver strikes preceded the copper issues, almost certainly minted first as prestige pieces for court distribution rather than as functional currency. Genuine examples are extraordinarily rare; the overwhelming majority of specimens in circulation today are either later imitations or outright forgeries, a problem documented since at least the Edo period.
DHJ#1.1 and #1.3 represent distinct die classifications within the silver series, differences detectable primarily in the rim treatment and casting flow patterns.