Coin Japan 8 Monme - Morioka Ginban - 1868 - Silver - Rare

This coin is an 8 Monme Ginban, issued in 1868 by the Morioka domain in Japan. It was produced in the context of the troubles preceding the Meiji Restoration, to finance the domain's war chest.

The coin is made of silver with a fineness of 640 thousandths. It weighs approximately 30 grams and has a diameter of 83 millimeters x 51. It is distinguished by its oval shape, characteristic of Ginban, which means "silver plate". The production of this coin was based on the model of the "Isshugin", a ½ Monme silver coin used as a unit of measurement. Thus, 8 Monme was equivalent to 1 Ry?, as in other local issues such as the Akita F?gin.

Struck between March and August 1868, this coin is a testimony to the end of the Edo period and the monetary autonomy of the feudal domains before the national unification of 1871. Production was about 150 coins per day, totaling about 27,000 copies over six months, from silver extracted from the Kosaka mine. In 1871, it was demonetized. Today, it is a sought-after collector's item and is referenced in international catalogs under the numbers KM #52, JNDA #9-73 and DHJ #9.92.