Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
Ryo Gold
| Issuer | Meiji Government (Daijō-kan) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1868 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Ryo Gold |
| 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 | Vertically oriented note printed in black on plain paper, with the large Chinese numeral 壱 (one) at the top center accompanied by the Arabic numeral 1 beneath it. The central field is blank, reserved for denomination identification, and the overall design is austere and minimalist, consistent with early Meiji-era government paper currency. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Official seal |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Daijō-kan notes of 1868 were among the first paper currency instruments issued by the new Meiji government, appearing almost simultaneously with the restoration itself. The administration desperately needed to finance military campaigns against Tokugawa holdouts while the old sankin-kōtai economy was still collapsing around it. These notes were backed by a nominal gold standard that the government had neither the reserves nor the institutional machinery to enforce.
Domestic printing meant quality varied considerably across the run. Forgery was an immediate problem — without sophisticated intaglio work or complex security printing, official seals were essentially the only barrier, and they were widely copied.