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1 Mon 'Eirakutsūhō' Hammered gold
| Issuer | Japan |
|---|---|
| Year | 1587 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round with a square hole |
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| Obverse description | Central square perforation surrounded by four large Chinese characters arranged in cruciform fashion, read in the traditional sequence of top, bottom, right, left. The legend 永樂通寶 (Eirakutsūhō) is rendered in bold, deeply struck kai-sho (regular script) calligraphy. A raised rim encircles the broad, flat field, typical of the hammered cash-coin tradition. The characters are boldly modeled in high relief against the smooth gold field, reflecting the strong influence of the Chinese Yongle-era prototype. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Chinese |
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| Additional information |
The Eiraku Tsūhō (永樂通寳) gold pieces were not Japanese in origin at all — the design derives from a Chinese Ming dynasty cash coin issued under the Yongle Emperor in the early 15th century. By the 16th century, Eiraku copper coins had circulated so widely in Japan that the name became synonymous with currency itself in certain regions, and Oda Nobunaga famously adopted the Eiraku mon as his personal banner device. The 1587 date places this piece squarely in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's consolidation period, following Nobunaga's assassination.
Hammered gold issues of this type were produced by a small number of licensed craftsmen rather than a centralized mint, which accounts for the weight variation seen across surviving specimens.