Catalog
1 Monme
| Issuer | Japan (Local Han/Domain Issuer) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1700-1868 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents vertical columns of brush-written and woodblock-printed Japanese text stating the denomination and issuing authority, arranged within a plain ruled border. An ornamental geometric panel occupies the upper portion, and a rectangular inked seal impression in black appears to the lower left, with additional cursive notations below a horizontal rule dividing the field. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Hand-applied red and black seal stamps of the issuing domain office, serving as authentication marks in lieu of modern security features. |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Han bills (hansatsu) circulated as local scrip within individual feudal domains throughout the Edo period, forbidden by the Tokugawa shogunate in theory but tolerated in practice wherever domain finances demanded it. The monme was a silver weight unit, so these notes functioned as silver-denominated obligations rather than representations of coin — a meaningful distinction in a monetary system where gold, silver, and copper each operated on separate, floating exchange rates.
Attribution to a specific issuing han is often impossible without legible seal impressions, and many surviving examples have faded or smudged stamps. The seal was the entire authentication mechanism.