1 Mon 'Wadōkaichin' old type, silver

Issuer	Imperial Japanese Government
Year	708
Type	Log in to see details
Value	Log in to see details
Currency	Log in to see details
Composition	Log in to see details
Weight	Log in to see details
Diameter	Log in to see details
Thickness	Log in to see details
Shape	Log in to see details
Technique	Log in to see details
Orientation	Log in to see details
Engraver(s)	Fujiwara Fuhito
In circulation to	Log in to see details
Reference(s)	Log in to see details

Obverse description	Cast round coin with a central square hole, surrounded by four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform reading order within a plain inner rim. The four-character legend 和同開珎 (Wadōkaichin) is read clockwise beginning at the top, with each character occupying one of the four cardinal positions around the central perforation. The characters are rendered in regular script (kaisho) style, boldly cast in relief against a flat field. A raised outer rim borders the entire obverse. The coin follows the formal aesthetic of Tang Chinese cash coinage, reflecting the cultural influence of the continent on early Japanese monetary art.
Obverse script	Chinese
Obverse lettering	Log in to see details
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.
Reverse script	Log in to see details
Reverse lettering	Log in to see details
Edge	Log in to see details
Mint	Log in to see details
Mintage	Log in to see details
Additional information	Log in to see details