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Ōban 'Keichō Sasagaki Ōban'
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1601 |
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| Composition | Gold (.672) (67.2% Gold / 29.4% Silver / 0.34% other) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain, lightly hammered gold surface with a smooth, unadorned field. Two small circular Gotō seal stamps are visible near the center of the reverse, providing additional assay authentication. The surface shows the natural texture and color characteristic of the high-gold alloy used in Keichō-period ōban coinage, with no additional inscriptions or decorative elements. |
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| Mint | Gotō Mint (後藤座) |
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| Additional information |
The Keichō Ōban was produced under the authority of Tokugawa Ieyasu beginning in 1601, continuing the large-format gold plate coinage that the Toyotomi administration had introduced in the 1580s. These were never currency in the practical sense — they functioned as gifts exchanged between the shogunate and daimyō, rewards for military service, and instruments of political obligation. Actual market transactions required kobans.
The "Sasagaki" designation refers to the hand-brushed ink inscription applied by gold-seal artisans of the Gotō family, who held hereditary authority over Ōban authentication across successive administrations. Each piece passed through their hands individually.