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100 Mon 'Akita-tsubasen'

Issuer Kubota Domain
Year 1863-1866
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Shape Oval (With a hole)
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Obverse script Chinese
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Reverse description Two ho-o (phoenix) birds, representing a male (ho) and female (o) pair, are depicted in dynamic raised relief encircling the central rectangular hole. The larger bird to the left faces inward with wings spread and elaborate plumage rendered in flowing, curvilinear strokes, while the smaller bird above faces downward, their intertwined tail feathers and foliate scrollwork filling the field. The composition is richly detailed, with feathers, crests, and ornamental flourishes characteristic of Japanese decorative art of the Edo period. The pair symbolizes auspiciousness and conjugal harmony. A raised border frames the oval planchet, and no inscription appears on this face.
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Additional information

Kubota Domain — the political entity governing Akita han — issued these copper 100 mon pieces under acute fiscal pressure during the final decade of Tokugawa rule, when many domains resorted to issuing their own coinage to manage local shortages. The 'tsubasen' designation refers to the tsuba-like form: the coin's distinctive shape borrowed from sword-guard aesthetics, a deliberate visual choice that set it apart from standard mon coinage circulating elsewhere in Japan.

DHJ 7.2 and 7.3 represent distinct die varieties, distinguishable to specialists but frequently conflated in general inventory. Attributing correctly between the two requires close attention to stroke details in the reverse inscription.

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