Chōgin 'Yuzuha Chōgin'

Yuzuha Chōgin are a distinct subtype of the broader chōgin currency system that operated in Tokugawa Japan, distinguished by their assay marks — the yuzuha stamp indicating authorization under a specific minting administration. Chōgin were produced by the Ginza, the silver monopoly offices established by the Tokugawa shogunate, and circulated by weight rather than face value, making them functionally closer to bullion than to conventional coinage.

The fineness of chōgin was debased multiple times across the Edo period as the shogunate sought revenue through seigniorage — a recurring fiscal pressure that makes die and stamp attribution critical to accurate valuation of any individual piece.