Item number: A1462

Year: AD 1868-1869

Material: Gold

Size: 19.5 x 11.7 x 1.1 mm

Weight: 3.0 g

Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2024

This is a 2 bu-ban-kin (二分判金), a kind of Japanese currency, issued during the early reign of Emperor Meiji in the Japanese imperial era. The term “2 bu” indicates that the currency’s value was equivalent to half of a koban (one ryō, as a weight unit). The term “ban” refers to a standardised gold ingot stamped with either “bokusho” (ink markings) or “gokuin” (official seals or monograms) to certify its quality and weight. The term “kin” translate of gold.

The obverse side of this 2 bu-ban-kin bears the monograms of Gotō Shōzaburō Mitsutsugu(光次), the hereditary head of the Edo-period Kinza (gold mint) in Japan. This monograms continued to be used by successive heads of the mint as a mark of authenticity.

The reverse side of the 2 bu-ban-kin features the Gotō family emblem, comprising a fan-shaped design and the Paulownia emblem (kiri-mon). Traditionally, the Paulownia emblem symbolised the Japanese Emperor and was granted by successive emperors to distinguished subjects as a mark of imperial favour. The Gotō family’s use of the Paulownia emblem is believed to have originated from an imperial gift to the Ashikaga shogunate, which in turn bestowed it upon the Gotō family. The edges of the coin are adorned with circular dots as a decorative motif. The characters “二分(2 bu)” in the centre indicate its value.

This 2 bu-ban-kin represents the final official ryō-based system currency in Japanese history. It was issued at the beginning of Emperor Meiji’s reign to stabilise the currency, facilitate commerce, and provide support for the Daijōkan-satsu, Japan’s first nationally circulating paper currency. However, this measure proved insufficient in addressing the challenges posed by Japan’s triple monetary standard coinage system (gold, silver, and copper), the rampant spread of counterfeit currency, and the need for alignment with international trade and domestic modernisation initiatives under the policy of “enrich the country, strengthen the Armed Forces” (fukoku kyōhei).

By the early Meiji period, Japan’s monetary and fiscal systems remained in turmoil. In AD 1871 (Meiji 4), the government promulgated the New Currency Act, which replaced the ryō-based system with the yen. Under this reform, the traditional gold and silver coins denominated in ryō were gradually phased out, marking a significant step in Japan’s transition toward a modern monetary system.

物件編號: A1462

年代: 公元 1868-1869 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 19.5 x 11.7 x 1.1 mm

重量: 3.0 g

來源: 福君錢幣 2024

這是日本帝國時期，明治天皇即位之初發行的二分判金。「二分」的意思是，價值相當於小判(一兩)的二分之一。「判」的意思是固定形制的金塊上有「墨書」或「極印」(花押)作為品質和重量的證明。

這枚二分判金正面是「光次」，為江戶時代日本江戶金座(金幣鑄造所)御金改役(金幣鑄造所所長，職位世襲)後藤庄三郎光次的花押，歷代金座當主持續沿用。

這枚二分判金背面是後藤家家紋，由扇面與桐紋組成。桐紋傳統上是日本天皇的象徵之一，也被歷朝天皇授予臣民作為賞賜。後藤氏桐紋可能是由天皇賞賜予足利幕府，足利氏再賞賜給後藤氏的。二分判金周圍以圓點為飾。中間「二分」兩字標明了它的價值。

這是日本歷史上最後的官方判金，是明治天皇即位之初，為了穩定幣值、促進交易，也是為了支撐太政官札(日本第一種通行全國的紙幣)而發行。但很快，金銀銅並行的三貨制度，與贗貨氾濫的現況，無法滿足對外接軌國際貿易，對內富國強兵的需求，明治初期的貨幣與財政制度依然陷入混亂。明治四年(公元1871年)，新貨條例公布，廢兩改圓，以兩為單位的舊制金銀被逐步廢除。