Koban
From Marteau
Japan 1710-1714 (Hoei Era) Gold Koban or Ryo
History
Following the monetary reform of 1601 the Koban became the central unit of Japan's gold currency - rivalling the nation's silver and copper money, yet debased with the circulating silver coinage at about the same rate.
Keicho Koban |
Genroku Koban |
Hoei Koban |
Shotoko Koban |
Kyoho Koban |
Gembun Koban |
|
1606 | 1695 | 1710 | 1714 | 1715 | 1736 | |
Weight | 17.9 | 17.9 | 9.4 | 17.9 | 17.9 | 13.1 |
Fineness | 84-87% | 57% | 84% | 84-87% | 87% | 66% |
Gold g | ~15.30 | 10.20 | 7.89 | ~15.30 | 15.57 | 8.64 |
Value | 100% | 66.66% | 51.57% | 100% | 101.76% | 56.47% |
The official gold/silver rate was at 1 Ryo gold coin = 50 momme of silver coins = 4000 mon of copper coins, the momme being a unit of weight equal to 3.75 g.
Fluctuations of the supply and demand and the changing quality of gold and silver minted subjected the gold/silver rate to changing market evaluations. The Kenji gold Koban ([Dynasties (Japan)|Japan's dynasties and rulers]]) minted in the 16th century stood at 60 momme of silver, the Keicho gold Koban of 1601 had had a value of 80-90 momme silver, the Genroku gold Koban of 1695 was accepted as an equivalent of 70 momme silver Honjo, Eijiro (1940), p.6 pdf.
See Money (Japan).
Literature
- Bank of Japan (ed.) Short Essays on Monetary History Contained in Monetary and Economic Studies, 1-6 Keicho Koban: Establishment of the Unified Currency System. link
- Bank of Japan (ed.) Short Essays on Monetary History Contained in Monetary and Economic Studies, 1-8: The Genroku, Hoei, Shotoku, Kyoho, and Gembun Koban. link
- Honjo, Eijiro, "The Ecomonmic thought in the midde period of the Tokugawa period", Kyoto University Econmonic Review, vol. xv, no. 2 (Kyoto, April 1940), p.1-33. (On monetary politics, price developments and the relatinonship between coinage and price developments, 1688-1763) pdf