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Edo PeriodAkita Domain
Akita Wave Coin
江戶 秋田藩
秋田波錢
Item number: A372
Year: AD 1862
Material: Copper
Size: 42.2 x 42.1 x 2.9~3.2 mm
Weight: 36.9 g
Provenance: Noonans 2022
This coin was minted in the 2nd year of the Bunkyū era (AD 1862), during the late Edo period, in the Akita Domain located in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It was made from copper ore mined from the Ani Copper Mine within the domain and was circulated locally.
The coin is circular in shape, with the front featuring engraved lines that form a repetitive wave pattern, totalling seven waves. This design gives the coin its name, “Akita Wave Coin.” The back of the coin is a plain circular surface, except for the centre, which bears the character “秋” (Aki), symbolising the Akita Domain. Initially, the exchange rate of the Akita Wave Coin to the Edo Bakufu-issued Kan’ei Tsūhō was set at 1:100, but it later devalued to 1:80.
At the beginning of the Edo period, Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Edo Bakufu and standardised the Japanese monetary system with the Kan’ei Tsūhō as the benchmark. However, towards the end of the Bakufu era, as the central government’s influence waned, many local daimyo began to mint their own currencies. This trend was particularly prevalent in regions like Akita and other areas in northeastern Japan, where harsh environmental conditions hindered agricultural activities, but rich mineral resources were abundant.
Akita Domain possessed the Anini Copper Mine, one of the most important copper-producing regions in Japan during the Edo period. It is estimated that the Anini Copper Mine accounted for more than half of the national copper production during this time.