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4 Mon 'Kan'eitsūhō' Meiwa Copper Alloy, 11 waves
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1769-1788 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse lettering | 寛 寶 通 永 (Translation: Currency of Kan`ei) |
| Reverse description | The reverse features a decorative pattern of eleven stylized wave arcs (nami) arranged symmetrically around the central square perforation, radiating outward in concentric scalloped rows to fill the coin's field. The wave motif, deeply incised into the cast surface, is characteristic of the Meiwa-period 4 Mon coinage and served as a means of distinguishing this higher-denomination issue from the 1 Mon cash coins. A plain raised rim encircles the design. |
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| Additional information |
The Kan'eitsūhō series had been minted in various forms since 1636, but the four-mon copper issues introduced under the Meiwa era represented a deliberate government response to chronic small-denomination shortages that had plagued the Tokugawa economy for decades. The eleven-wave reverse — distinguishing this type from the seven-wave variant — was a design decision tied to mint attribution and period of issue, not aesthetics.
By the 1770s, widespread counterfeiting of these coins had become a serious administrative problem for the Edo shogunate.