Catalog
2 Shu Minbushō-satsu
| Issuer | Minbushō (Ministry of Popular Affairs) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869-1870 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Letterpress print in black with red and blue handstamp overprints. The upper register presents the vertical denomination within an ornate scrollwork frame incorporating Chrysanthemum seals and five-seven Paulownia seals; a red circular handstamp seal is applied over the denomination. The lower register contains vertical official inscriptions within a frame engraved with two confronting dragons, with a blue rectangular handstamp seal interposed between the two frames. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 明治己巳發行 確證 (Translation: Meiji [year] tsuchinoto-mi (Year of the Earth-Snake) issue Confirm) |
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| Comments |
The Minbushō-satsu series was among the earliest government-issued paper currency produced domestically in Meiji Japan, replacing the chaotic patchwork of han (feudal domain) notes that had flooded the economy during the late Tokugawa period. The Ministry of Popular Affairs — itself a short-lived administrative body, abolished and reorganized within a few years — issued these notes during a window when the new government was still experimenting with both fiscal structure and printing technique before Western-style banknote production was properly established.
The shu denomination reflects the older Edo-period monetary unit system, still in use before the 1871 New Currency Act swept it away in favor of the decimal yen. Notes denominated in shu became obsolete almost immediately after issue.