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'Tenpō Mameitagin' small 保 character(s)
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1837-1858 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 7 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain, convex, and entirely uninscribed reverse surface, exhibiting the characteristic bean-shaped irregular form of the mameitagin coinage. The surface is smooth and unworked, retaining the natural contours of the hand-poured billon flan. No stamps, legends, or decorative elements are present. The dark patina covers the entire reverse, consistent with the billon alloy composition of this Edo-period Japanese silver currency. |
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| Mintage | ND (1837-1858) - DHJ#9.52 |
| Additional information |
The Tenpō Mameitagin was struck by the Tokugawa shogunate's silver za as a regional trade currency for western Japan, where silver was the dominant medium of exchange in contrast to the gold-based economy of Edo. The irregular, hand-struck form was deliberate — each piece was weighed individually in transactions rather than counted, a practice that had persisted in Osaka merchant culture for centuries.
The small 保 character variety is distinguished by a die-punch detail, not a separate issue. The dramatically debased silver content relative to earlier mameitagin reflects the shogunate's mounting fiscal pressure through the 1840s and 1850s.