Japanese currency history
The Japanese currency history began in 708 with the first coinage, with coins but only during the Edo period interspersed (1603-1868).
Early history
Ancient Chinese coins were unearthed in sites of the Yayoi period (−300 to 300 AD) and in the Kofun period (4th century to 710). Coins are also mentioned in the Nihonshoki annals from 720. However, these Chinese coins are unlikely to have played a role as currency.
The first Japanese coins were minted in 708, they are called Wadō Kaichin ( 和 同 開 珎 ) after the current government motto Wadō (708–715) . They were silver and copper coins modeled on Chinese coins from the Tang Dynasty . Between 760 and 958 at least 11 other coins were made, which are summarized as the "Twelve Imperial Coins" ( 皇朝 十二 銭 , Kōchō jūni sen ). Like their Chinese counterparts, these coins were round with a square hole in the middle. They were only used in aristocratic circles, and barter was still common among the people. In the 10th century the Mint ( 鋳 銭 司 , Jusenshi ) was dissolved and the use of Japanese coins was banned.
For the next nearly four hundred years until the end of the Muromachi Period (1333–1568), the government did not mint coins, but used coins imported from China, Korea , Annam and other countries. The increasing circulation of coins led to a tax collection in which the tax levy, kandaka ( 貫 高 ) on arable land was raised in kammon ( 貫 文 ), a copper coin unit.
Edo period
At the beginning of the Edo period, coinage was reorganized. The shogunate set up mints Kinza ( 金 座 ), Ginza ( 銀座 ; see also the Tokyo district of the same name ) and Zeniza ( 銭 座 ), which minted gold, silver and copper coins. It was typical of coinage in the Edo period that the metals formed three levels of currency, which were not in a fixed relationship to one another, but which were converted into one another according to daily exchange rates.
Gold coins
The largest gold coin was called Ōban ( 大 判 ) and had a value of 10 Ryō ( 両 ). The next smaller coin was accordingly called Koban ( 小 判 ). It had a value of 1 ryō, which in turn originated from the Chinese tael . The further subdivision does not follow the decimal system. A Ryō was divided into 2 Nibun-kin ( 二 分 金 ), which corresponded to 4 Ichibu-kin ( 一 分 金 ), and 8 Nishu-kin ( 二 朱 金 ), which corresponded to 16 Isshu-kin ( 一 朱 金 ) .
The weight of gold coins fell from 17.9 g in the 17th century to just 3.3 g at the end of the Edo period. At the same time, the gold content fell from 86% to 56%.
Silver coins
The largest silver coin, called Chōgin ( 丁 銀 ), was a massive, irregular piece that was protected from changes by a die and was also weighed. The value was given Momme ( 匁 ), also called Monme or Me (目) for short. A chōgin with the value of 60 momme corresponded to a ryō. - The Chōgin could be divided into 4 Ichibu-gin ( 一 分 銀 ), which corresponds to 12 Gomomme-gin ( 五 匁 銀 ), and 8 Nishu-gin ( 二 朱 銀 ), which corresponds to 16 Isshu-gin ( 一朱 銀 ).
The silver content of the Chogin fell from 80% in the 17th century to 15% at the end of the Edo period.
Copper coins
Only one type of copper coin ( 銭 , zeni ) was in use. According to the old model, it was round and had a square hole for threading. 1 Ryō corresponds to 4000 to 10,000 Mon ( 文 ) or 10 Kan ( 貫 ).
Others
The Japanese Post issued a sheet on the occasion of the annual meeting of the IMF / Banking Group 2012 in Japan, on which the mentioned coins of the Edo period are reproduced in 8 different 80-yen stamps.
Illustrations
Bu and Shu in size comparison
Bu and Shu, 1st half of the 19th century
Tempo Ichibu-kin
Chogin
Mame-ita (silver)
Ansei Ichibu-gin
Ansei Nishu-gin
The yen
1871 new currency in the decimal system with the character 圓 , today simplified according to the Scriptures reform 円 introduced. The yen was subdivided into 100 sen ( 銭 ) and 1000 rin ( 厘 ), although these subdivisions were abandoned due to the depreciation of the yen in 1954.
In addition to gold and silver coins, paper money was also introduced. Since in Japan there was not yet sufficient forgery-proof printing for the desired notes worth 50 sen, 1 yen, 2 yen, 5 yen and 10 yen, the government decided to have the series produced by the Lehmann printing company in Frankfurt am Main . The paper quality turned out not to be good enough, the second series, which appeared in 1881, was already printed in Japan itself.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Suzuki, Kozo: Edo no o-kane no monogatari. Nikkei Puremia shirizu (115). Nikkei Shimbun-sha, 2011. ISBN 978-453226115-3 .
Remarks
- ↑ The Keichō era lasted from 1596 to 1615. The coins were in circulation longer.
- ↑ The Kan'ei era lasted from 1624 to 1644. The coins were in circulation longer.
- ↑ The word has survived in the Japanese term for currency exchange ( 両 替 , ryōgae ) to this day
- ↑ The Kan was actually a unit of weight, derived from the weight of 1000 copper coins.
- ↑ The character, spoken en , was written in the spelling now marked as "historical" with the character ゑ (transliterated ye) until the 20th century, although the initial sound had long since disappeared.
- ↑ The Iwakura Mission visited the print shop in the spring of 1873.
literature
- S. Noma (Ed.): Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X , pp. 999-1000.
- Yamaguchi, Kazuo: Nihon no shihei Karā-bukkusu 662. Hoikusha, 1984. ISBN 4-586-50662-8 .