4 Mon "Bunkyūeihō" Regular script; 文久永寶 1863-1868

Weight

3.10 g

Diameter

27 mm

Thickness

1.2 mm

Material

Copper

Shape

Round with a square hole

Edge Type

Plain.

Technique

Cast

Front design

Inscription.

Back design

11 waves.

Year of Minting

1863-1868

Ruler

NA

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Medal alignment ↑↑

Inscriptions

Obverse: 文 寶　永 久

Context

In the 2nd month of the 3rd year of Bunkyū, a copper coin with the inscription Bunkyūeihō was put into circulation. These coins were mostly made out of the old one mon coins, thus their alloy does not contain zinc. The coin was intended to replace the unpopular iron Kan'eitsūhō 4 Mon , however, people used the coin by compared value to iron 1 Mon coin. In 1865, Bunkyūeihō was 8 Mon (while Brass Kan'eitsūhō 4 Mon worth 12 Mon), and in 1867 Bunkyūeihō was 15~16 Mon (while Brass Kan'eisūhō 4 Mon worth 20~24 Mon). Bunkyu Eiho was the last of the traditional cast cash coins to be introduced. In 1868, the minting machinery that had been in use in Hong Kong was brought to Osaka, and by 1870 machine struck gold, silver, and copper yen and sen coins had started to be made. Bunkyūeihō had been used for, generally, 1.5 Rin (0.0015 Yen, as 1 Yen = 1 Ryō = 10000 Mon) until the law of demonetizing old currencies came into effect in 1954. However, in some area, such as Kōchi, Wakayama, Kōbe, it was accept for only 1 Rin. Brass Kan'eitsūhō 4 Mon had been made under control of Ginza . Bunkyūeihō Regular script was casted by Zeniza at Edo Fukagawa Shinden, which was also under control of Ginza . However, Cursive script and Simplified Hō was casted at Asakusa Hashiba, Zeniza under control of Kinza . Overall mintage of all Bunkyūeihō coin various by records. One has 891_515_631 coins, while other recorded that 2_114_246_283 of copper Kan'eitsūhō 1 Mon coins was remelted to make 1_420_200_000 of Bunkyūeihō coins. According to Kozuchi channel , Kinza had more experience for making cash coins. They first produce copper Bosen , then casted into Tin Bosen before using Tin Bosen to cast regular coins. This resulted in coins produced under Kinza had only a few variations. Ginza didn't know this technique, resulted in many subvariants of Bosen thus many subvariants of regular coins. ________________ Bunkyūeihō Regular script has the most subvariants compared to Cursive script and Simplified Hō . However, Bosen of Regular script is much more rare than the other two and copper Bosen of Regular script generally more expensive than tin Bosen of Cursive or Simplified Hō . ① tall narrow 永; 永 higher than hole rim → KŌSEN see position of waves on reverse ①Ⓐ low waves; wave 6th and 8th have almost the same length; left leg 文 shorter than hole rim → KŌSEN HAITEIHA ①Ⓑ high waves; wave 6th longer 8th; large side triangle; left leg 文 almose same as hole rim → KŌSEN HAIKŌHA ② bottom of 永 lower or same as hole rim → see position of crown of 寶 ②Ⓐ crown of 寶 as high as hole rim → CHOKUEI 10~23 more subvariants ②Ⓐ➊ CHOKUEI 5~10 more subvariants ②Ⓐ➋ SAIJI 4~9 more subvariants ②Ⓐ➌ head of 久 with hook → SENJI up to 4 subvariants ②Ⓐ➌ⓐ right leg of 寶 connect to body → SENJI ②Ⓐ➌ⓑ right leg of 寶 separate from body → SENJI RISOKUHŌ ②Ⓑ crown of 寶 much lower hole rim → FUKAJI 8~12 more subvariants ②Ⓑ➊ FUKAJI KYŌEI 4~5 more subvariants ②Ⓑ➋ FUKAJI KŌEI 2~5 more subvariants ②Ⓑ➌ FUKAJIDE 2 more subvariants 広穿背低波 KŌSEN HAITEIHA (left) and SENJI (right)

Rarity

Rare

Coin type

Standard circulation

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0