100 Mon 'Akita-tsubasen'

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.