Everlasting Coins Blog
Welcome to the Everlasting Coins coin information and research blog! Whether you're a new or experienced collector of Japanese coins, this site is meant to be a resource for you.
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Collecting Japanese Coins
The articles below provide an introduction to how Japanese coins were created, from the earliest cast coinages to the modern struck coinage. Also, there is a list of resource books and website that you may find useful when collecting Japanese coins, ranging from sources that only cover a little on Japanese coins to works dedicated to specialized fields.
12 Antique Coins Series
The 12 Antique (Ancient) Coins of Japan are a set of rare and valuable coins that marked the beginning of Japan's monetary system.
- Introduction to the 12 Ancients Series
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- #1: The Wado Kaichin 和同開珎
- #2: The Mannen Tsuho 萬年通宝
- #3: The Jingo Kaiho 神功開宝
- #4: The Ryuhei Eiho 隆平永宝
- #5: The Fuju Shimpo 富寿神宝
- #6: The Jowa Shoho 承和昌宝
- #7: The Chonen Taiho 長年大宝
- #8: The Nyoyaku Shimpo 饒益神宝
- #9: The Jogan Eiho 貞観永宝
- #10: The Kampyo Taiho 寛平大宝
- #11: The Engi Tsuho 延喜通宝 (Not available yet)
- #12: The Kengen Taiho 乾元大宝 (Not available yet)
Edo Era Coinage
The Edo period, which lasted from 1601 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, was one of the most successful, if not the most successful, cast coin production eras of Japan. The most ubiquitous coinage of this series is the Kanei Tsuho, which came in 1 Mon and 4 Mon denominations. Commonly cast in bronze, the Kanei Tsuho also exists in more copper-laden varities and even pure iron issue. The Kanei Tsuho, distinguashable from Chinese and other Asian cast coins by their common inscription ("Kan Ei Tsu Ho", or Coinage of the Kanei era) as well as the wave pattern on the reverse of the 4 Mon. Hundreds of varieties of the Kanei Tsuho 1 Mon exist that are solely distinguashable by their calligraphy and mintmarks. As well as the Kanei Tsuho, several other iconic Japanese coins were also made during the Edo period, such as the 100 Mon, famous for its oblong shape, or the lesser known 10 Mon, which is comparable an oversized 4 Mon Kanei Tsuho with wide rims and a different inscription. The articles below try to disambiguate the coins from this period. Note: none of these articles have been uploaded yet. Please sign up for the newsletter to receive an alert when they are all listed.