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4 Mon 'Bunkyūeihō' Bosen, copper alloy, regular script, KŌSEN HAITEIHA
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863-1868 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Cast |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese (traditional, regular script) |
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| Reverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by a raised square boss, the field decorated with a continuous pattern of overlapping wave motifs (nami) rendered in low relief, arranged concentrically around the central hole and filling the entire inner disk. The wave design, characteristic of the haiteiha (low-wave) variety, is composed of segmented arc-shaped ridges evoking stylized sea waves. A broad plain rim frames the design. The clean, precise casting of this reverse identifies the piece as a copper bosen (母銭, master coin used for producing working dies). |
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| Additional information |
The Bunkyū Eiraku Tsūhō four-mon piece was authorized in 1863 as Japan's monetary system buckled under the twin pressures of forced trade treaties and a massive outflow of gold triggered by the artificially low gold-to-silver ratio the Tokugawa government had maintained domestically. Copper coinage production was expanded at several furnaces simultaneously, and the resulting die variation across issues is considerable. The "Kōsen Haiteiha" designation refers to the specific wave pattern on the reverse — a classification detail that only acquired systematic importance as collectors began differentiating among the numerous die families in the late Meiji period.