Catalog
5 Silver Monme private issue, Oono-gumi
| Issuer | Oono-gumi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Monme |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 銀 五 卜 分 代諸 銀物 預品 切農 手商 (Translation: Five bu of silver Various things and goods charge a silver deposit Agriculture and commerce stamp) |
| Reverse description | A stylized water-drop cartouche appears at the head of the note, with the issue date inscribed below it. The central field is dominated by large handwritten calligraphy and bears several official stamps, including the issuer name Oono-gumi. The names of the authorized exchangers are listed in vertical columns at the foot of the note. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Oono-gumi was one of several private merchant associations operating exchange shops (*ryōgaeshō*) that briefly filled the credit vacuum left by Japan's chaotic monetary transition following the Meiji Restoration. The 1869 date places this squarely in the interregnum between the old Tokugawa silver weight system and the new decimal currency introduced by the 1871 New Currency Act — which is precisely why it is denominated in *monme*, a traditional mass unit for silver, rather than any standardized coin value.
Private fractional notes of this type were declared illegal shortly after 1871 and ordered redeemed, which drove most into destruction.