Digital museum showcasing the collection of worldwide legends over the years! 千古不朽博物館展示多年來收藏的世界傳奇故事！
Japan Genroku Mameitagin
Item number: A62
Year: AD 1695-1706
Material: Silver
Size: left 8.74 x 8.74 / right 13.67 x 10.57 x 6.66 mm
Weight: left 3.0 / right 7.35 g
Provenance: Auction World 2023
This object is a type of silver currency known as “Mameitagin,” minted and circulated during the Genroku era in Japan (AD 1695-1706). It served as a small-denomination metage currency during the Edo period. Mameitagin was utilized as a subsidiary currency to Chogin, aiming to alleviate the inconvenience associated with dividing Chogin.
During the Genroku era, there were various styles of Mamegane issued, and the one on the left is of the “Genpō” type. On the obverse side, it features the character “寶” (treasure), surrounded by the small character “元(yuen).” However, the pattern on the reverse side is unclear and indistinguishable.
Mameitagin, also known as kodama-gin, kotsubu-gin, or Fragmented Silver, was minted during the Keicho to Ansei eras. Its nomenclature originated from its granular or bean-like shape. The issuance of this silver coin primarily aimed to address the demand for small-denomination transactions prevalent during that period. Prior to the Keicho era, the concept of Mameitagin did not exist. People still handled fractional calculations by cutting Chogin. Subsequently, for the sake of convenience, smaller denomination coins with reduced weight, Mameitagin, were introduced.
In May of the fourth year of Keiō (AD 1868), the Meiji Restoration government promulgated the “Decree on the Abolition of Silver Standards,” resulting in the cessation of circulation for both the Chogin and Mameitagin.
