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Ōban 'Tenshō Ōban'
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1573-1609 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Hammered |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Mintage | ND (1573-1609) |
| Additional information |
The Tenshō Ōban was not a coin in any conventional monetary sense — it was a political instrument. Toyotomi Hideyoshi commissioned these pieces from the Goto family of gold artisans, distributing them as gifts to daimyo and foreign dignitaries rather than releasing them into trade. Each was hand-finished and individually inscribed by a Goto master, which means no two are identical in their ink markings.
Surviving authenticated examples are exceptionally rare. Most were melted or gifted into foreign hands during the turbulent transition to Tokugawa rule after Sekigahara in 1600.