Catalog
1 Monme
| Issuer | Ashimori Domain (Japanese feudal domains) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1730 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Monme Silver / Monme-Gin / Ginme (1601-1874) |
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| Obverse description | Vertical-format note printed in black with red overstamps; the upper register bears a full-length frontal vignette of Benzaiten seated, holding a key, sword, and lotus blossom. The central field is divided into several vertical text cartouches giving the denomination and issuing authority, framed by a Seigaiha (overlapping wave-scale) border motif at the base. A red official seal is applied to the centre of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Vertical-format reverse printed in black with red overstamps; the upper register carries a decorative vignette motif, below which a continuous block of vertical classical Chinese text runs the length of the note. Two red official seals are applied, one in the upper field and one in the lower field. |
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| Comments |
Ashimori was a small fudai domain in Bitchu Province (modern Okayama Prefecture), holding a assessed yield of just 25,000 koku — modest even by han standards. Domain-issued paper currency, hansatsu, allowed local lords to effectively borrow against future tax revenue while keeping metallic coin within domain borders. The monme denomination places this firmly in the silver-unit system of western Japan, distinct from the gold-based ryo denominations more common in Edo-area issues.
1730 falls within a period of widespread hansatsu proliferation following the Kyoho economic reforms, which paradoxically drove many smaller domains toward paper as silver coinage tightened.