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4 Mon 'Kan'eitsūhō' Bunsei Copper Alloy, 11 waves
| Issuer | Tokugawa Shogunate |
|---|---|
| Year | 1821-1825 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 4 Mon |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | 寛 寶 通 永 (Translation: Currency of Kan`ei) |
| Reverse description | The reverse displays a decorative wave pattern in relief, consisting of eleven horizontal wave lines (nami) arranged symmetrically around the central square perforation, converging toward it in a fan-like composition. The waves radiate outward from the square hole in a stylized, tiered arrangement, with curved parallel lines filling the upper and lower fields and diagonal lines occupying the lateral fields. A plain raised inner rim frames the square hole, and a plain outer rim borders the coin's circumference. This distinctive eleven-wave (jūichi-nami) design is the primary diagnostic feature distinguishing Bunsei-era 4 Mon pieces (DHJ# 4.254–4.255) from earlier and later issues. |
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| Additional information |
The Kan'eitsūhō series had been produced, with interruptions, since 1636 — but the Bunsei-era 4 mon issues emerged from a specific fiscal squeeze, as the Shogunate sought to stretch copper supplies while maintaining nominally higher-value circulation pieces. The "11 waves" designation distinguishes this variety from related dies by the wave count on the reverse, a detail cataloguers use to separate what were, to most Edo-period merchants, functionally identical coins.
Bunsei copper issues are frequently found with uneven casting surfaces, a consequence of declining quality control at the Edo and Osaka casting sites during the 1820s.