Catalog
1 Silver Monme private issue, Oono-gumi
| Issuer | Oono-gumi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Vignette of Ebisu, one of the Seven Gods of Fortune and patron deity of fishermen and tradesmen, occupies the upper portion of the note. Vertical letterpress text in classical Chinese characters runs the length of the narrow format, stating the denomination of one monme of silver and its function as a deposit receipt redeemable for various agricultural and commercial goods. The overall layout is characteristic of Meiji-era private scrip, with a plain paper field and hand-applied stamps. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A stylized water-drop motif appears at the top of the note, with the issue date rendered below it. The central field is dominated by large handwritten calligraphy and bears the issuer's name seal alongside the names and personal seals of the exchange guarantors. The lower portion carries the names of the individual exchangers responsible for redemption. |
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| Comments |
Private silver-denominated paper scrip of this type emerged in Japan during the chaotic opening years of the Meiji period, when the new government had not yet consolidated monetary authority and merchant houses — gumi — continued issuing their own exchange notes backed by commodity silver, as Edo-period practice had long permitted. Oono-gumi was among the merchant syndicates operating in this gap, effectively running a parallel credit system until national currency reforms pushed such instruments out of legitimacy by the early 1870s.
The monme denomination is itself a relic — a traditional weight unit for silver, already obsolete as a formal monetary measure by the time this note was printed.