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4 Mon 'Kan'eitsūhō' 21 waves
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1768-1769 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 寛 寶 通 永 |
| Reverse description | The reverse field is entirely filled with a decorative pattern of 21 overlapping wave motifs (seigaiha), arranged in concentric arching rows radiating outward from the central square hole toward the rim. The stylized waves are cast in bold relief, each segment defined by crisp raised outlines, giving the surface a strongly textured, scale-like appearance. A plain raised rim borders the design. |
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| Additional information |
The Kan'eitsūhō four-mon was introduced in 1768 under the Tanuma Okitsugu administration as part of a broader effort to address chronic copper shortages that had plagued the Tokugawa monetary system for decades. Increasing domestic demand and declining Ashio mine output had made the standard Kan'ei one-mon increasingly expensive to produce. The four-mon denomination allowed the bakufu to reduce per-unit copper content while expanding nominal money supply — a fiscal expedient that drew considerable merchant skepticism at introduction.
The 21-wave reverse variety is distinguished from the later 11-wave type by die count and production period, with DHJ cataloguing two distinct sub-varieties across the short 1768–1769 striking window.