I'm a sucker for these little Japanese rectangles. It's been a while since I had one, and this is the first Mint State example I've had.
NICE!!!! I still need those/ been looking forever to find MS ones. Let me know if you see more in MS/ I am VERY interested. John
Just sent mine in for slabbing, but I think it's likely to come back in VF to EF grade. I'll share when it does. Did these actually circulate as coins? How did trade work in Japan before the Meiji Restoration?
Yes/ before modern era in Shogunate/ AV Shu/ BU/ Kobans/ Goryobans/ Obans circulated in Japan 1500-1869
It's a bit complicated. Gold, silver and copper were all used as money. I believe the primary unit of account was the "koku" of rice, though. I remember reading "Musui's Story," the autobiography of a late-Tokugawa samurai. Big accounting matters were usually defined in koku of rice, but for things like purchases while traveling he would use copper coins. I suspect the gold and silver rectangles were more for wealth storage than as an everyday unit of exchange.
This is available as well: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2957872433...ZPGW41&hash=item44de4b2787:g:f2oAAOSwZBVknFVd https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ke...ei_1860__1869_gold_2_shu/2090846/Default.aspx
