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Chōgin 'Bunsei Chōgin' 6 stamps
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1820-1837 |
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| Currency | Monme Silver / Monme-Gin / Ginme (1601-1874) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse surface of this irregularly shaped, elongated oval silver billon ingot bears a total of six official assay stamps applied by hammer, distributed across the field in two vertical rows. Two large oval cartouche stamps, each enclosing the kanji character '文' (Bun, denoting the Bunsei era), are prominently struck near the upper and lower ends of the piece. Four additional rectangular or square counter-stamps bearing mint and certification inscriptions are applied in pairs along the lateral margins. Two smaller supplementary stamps are impressed at both pointed tips of the ingot, serving as additional certification marks. The surface is uneven and striated, reflecting the hand-cast and hand-stamped production method characteristic of Tokugawa-period chōgin coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | 文 文 (Translation: Bun Bun) |
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| Additional information |
The Bunsei Chōgin was issued following the currency reforms of 1820 under the Tokugawa shogunate, part of a broader effort to debase the coinage and replenish depleted bakufu finances. The silver content dropped sharply from earlier issues — the Genbun and Hōreki Chōgin had already set a downward trend, but the Bunsei represents a notable further reduction in fineness. Six verifying stamps indicate this piece passed through the official re-evaluation and stamping process conducted by the za assayers in Edo and Kyoto.
Chōgin circulated by weight rather than by count, which made the declining silver content a slow-burn fraud on merchants who lacked reliable testing equipment.