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4 Mon 'Bunkyūeihō' Bosen, tin alloy, cursive script, CHŌKAKU
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1863-1868 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Four Chinese characters arranged in cruciform fashion around the central square hole, reading 文久永寶 (Bunkyūeihō, 'Eternal money of the Bunkyū Era'), with the uppermost character (文) rendered in cursive (草書, sōsho) script as 攵, distinguishing this as a pattern piece. The characters are deeply cast in relief against a plain field, with the square central perforation characteristic of East Asian cast coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Chōkaku mint — a private operation licensed under the domain system — was one of several regional producers authorized to strike Bunkyū-era cash coins as the Tokugawa government struggled to meet demand for low-denomination currency in its final years. Tin alloy issues from this period were emergency expedients; copper shortages driven by export pressure and the opening of treaty ports after 1858 forced mints to experiment with inferior metals. These tin pieces circulated poorly and were unpopular, which counterintuitively means many were hoarded rather than spent.