BU: COIN OF JAPAN
1 bu, 1859-1868: Japan (Edo shogunate / Tokugawa shogunate)
Ruler: Emperor Kōmei (孝明天皇) — the 121st Emperor of Japan (1846-1867).
Rectangular silver coin, traditional for ancient Japan (bar money).
ND (no date).
The coin is known as the Ansei Ichibugin or "one silver bu of the Ansei era" (period from 1854 through 1860, during which Emperor Kōmei ruled under the motto "Ansei" that means "tranquil government").
The obverse and reverse of the coin contain rectangular frames, around which 20 sakura flowers are located.
一 分 銀: 1 bu of silver (the inscription is placed vertically).
Incuse stamp (embossed image) in the form of a hieroglyph 定: a sign guaranteeing the presence in the coin of silver equal in price to the specified denomination (in this case — one shu).
常銀: Ginza (Silver Mint).
The term "ginza" ("gin" /silver/ and "za" /place/) in the medieval and modern ages was used to describe mints in Japan, where silver coins were manufactured and silver bullion traded.
Ginza was officially sanctioned silver monopoly or silver guild which was created in 1598. This title identifies a regulatory agency with responsibility for supervising the minting of silver coins and for superintending all silver mines, silver mining and silver-extraction activities in Japan.
是㘴: the name "Jouze" (Jōze) of the master of coinage (controller /inspector, governor/ of the ginza silver mint).
- Silver (0.873): 25 mm - 8.54 g
- Reference price: 60.2$
COIN BU — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- JAPAN (17th-19th centuries): bu = 4 shu = 1/4 ryō
BU as coin name.
Bu — Japanese silver and gold coin issued until the 19th century. It was 1/4 ryō and consisted of 4 shu.
The denomination was used throughout the Edo period (1603-1868) and is part of the so-called Tokugawa coinage.
The earliest bu coins for which information was found were gold and had a classic round shape. Instead, the later, most popular among numismatists bu of the 19th century had a rectangular shape and were made of silver (with minor gold impurities). These non-standard coins are also called bar money.
Interestingly, bu coins are often called by other words, for example: ichibugin. In this case, "ichi" is Japanese for one (or "ni" for two) + "bu" (the denomination of the coin) + "gin" is Japanese for silver (or "kin" for gold). While the gold two bu are called nibukin.
The name of the coin bu was denoted by the character 分, which can be translated as part, fraction. This symbol is also found on Chinese coins fen (actually, it comes from the Chinese language), Korean fun, Vietnamese phan.
