Hansatsu were privately issued domain currencies, legal only within the territory of the han that produced them. This 2 fun note comes from the long Edo period window during which the Tokugawa shogunate tolerated local paper — partly because it kept silver and copper coin circulating at the national level while domains absorbed their own exchange risk. Hundreds of han, merchants, and temples issued their own denominations, which is why hansatsu survive in enormous variety but individual issuers are often impossible to attribute without the original domain records.
The extreme narrow format was deliberate — these notes were designed to be folded and tucked into a kimono sash.
Hansatsu were privately issued domain currencies, legal only within the territory of the han that produced them. This 2 fun note comes from the long Edo period window during which the Tokugawa shogunate tolerated local paper — partly because it kept silver and copper coin circulating at the national level while domains absorbed their own exchange risk. Hundreds of han, merchants, and temples issued their own denominations, which is why hansatsu survive in enormous variety but individual issuers are often impossible to attribute without the original domain records.
The extreme narrow format was deliberate — these notes were designed to be folded and tucked into a kimono sash.