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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Collector1966, post: 1722940, member: 17919&quot;]I picked up this Japanese gold &quot;mini koban&quot; at a show today. It is the last type of koban gold issued by the Shogunate before the 1868 Meiji Restoration. It contains severely debased gold because foreigners who had flocked to Japan after it was opened by Commodore Perry in 1854 were taking advantage of Japan&#039;s naivete when it came to the value of gold on the world market (silver was given a higher value in relation to gold in Japan (around 3:1) than it was in the Western world (16:1)). Interestingly, the toning of this coin (because it contains nearly 50% silver) makes it less salable in Japan.</p><p><br /></p><p>By the way, the reverse side of the coin bears the mintmaster&#039;s initials, in Japanese letters, &quot;Ta Ki&quot; 　(た　き)[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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