Some Japanese goodies

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Sallent, Jun 22, 2017.

  1. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    The good thing about getting into "chinese washers", is that soon you discover the Koreans, Vietnamese, Japanese, and others made washers too.

    Japan is an interesting land, and proof that we can't treat the rest of the world by the definitions of "ancient" and "medieval" that apply to Europe. While Europeans were in the midst of the industrial revolution, Japan continued to dwell in medieval times thanks to a strict issolationist policy. You can't look at Japanese cast coins from the early 19th century and say "Industrial or modern era" because it simply wasn't. These coins, like the society around them, are a product of medieval craftsmanship in an isolated feudal world.

    The first of my Japanese goodies:

    Japan 4 Mon 11 Wave Pattern.jpg Japan
    Edo Period (Ca. 1769-1788 CE)
    AE 4-mon 28mm, 4.37g
    Tokyo Mint
    O: Kuan Ei Tsu Ho
    R: 11 waves pattern
    Hartill Japan # 4.253

    This isn't your standard Chinese washer "type" reverse, with a simple dot or dash. This Japanese beauty has an intricate wave pattern on the reverse, as well as a very brazy appearance being from an earlier issue, before they were debased.

    Second:

    Japan 100 mon Musashi Province.jpg
    Japan
    Edo Period (1835-1870)
    AE 100-mon 49.5mmx32.5mm, 21.9g
    Musashi Province
    O: Ten Po-Tsu Ho
    R: Hyacku
    Hartill Japan # 5.7

    Boy, this coin ticks a lot of boxes:

    1. Fan of odd shaped coins? Check
    2. Fan of large coins? Check
    3. Fan of heavy coins? Check

    Apparently these large babies were made in many different provinces. I have one here from Musashi province, but it may be fun to track down a few from other provinces eventually. These range from the time just before Japan was reintroduced to the world, to the time when Japan got a rude awakening and began to open itself up to the modern world. They mark the end of feudal Japan, when the Samurai and medieval technology was still around, but was about fade forever to give way for the modern world.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2017
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  3. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    I think @Loong Siew recently posed some older ones? Like from the 700s or something?
     
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  4. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    No, the first of two coins I'm posting, just like the 100-mon is the second coin I'm posting, but quite obviously not the second Japanese coin ever.

    You know what, I edited it. Problem solved. No more confusion.
     
    Loong Siew and TypeCoin971793 like this.
  5. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    one shaped like your second one is on my list...i like all the boxes it checks as well!
     
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  6. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    I've long loved both of those types.

    Got one of those 100-mon pieces in a mixed World bulk lot, once. For such a coin to be in that lot and sold to me by a dealer for ten cents, that should give some indication of how sweet a bulk lot it was.

    Yes, that was a memorable bulk lot indeed...

    <wistful, nostalgic sigh>
     
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  7. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Wow, what a fantastic adventure. Very epic.
     
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  8. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Great post!! The exposure to this part of the world of coinage is going to be a unique adventure!! Unlike Chinese, Annam and Korean coinage, Japanese ones get ultra creative during the Bakumatsu period at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate with all their creative provincial variants.. the Tempo 100 mon is one such example.. only in Japan.. haha
     
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