Chōgin 'Genroku Chōgin' 6 stamps

The Genroku Chōgin was debased on the orders of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi's senior counselor Ogiwara Shigehide, dropping silver fineness from the .800 of the Keicho standard to .640 — a deliberate devaluation designed to address the Edo shogunate's chronic fiscal shortfalls. The operation was massive: old Keicho Chōgin were called in, melted, and reissued at reduced purity, effectively transferring wealth from holders to the treasury. It triggered significant price inflation and merchant resentment.

The six counter-stamps (stamps of authenticity applied by both the Kinza and Ginza authorities) are the primary means of attribution on these unmarked silver slugs. Fewer stamps typically indicate earlier handling in the recall-and-restrike cycle.