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| BACKWARD | INDEX | HISTORY | FORWARD |
| Establishment of Japanese Currency System---7. Gold and Silver Coins Minted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi | ||
| Tensho Oban (Tensho Naga Oban) (1592`) gold (fineness 70`74%) |
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| m scale/Size A4 n | ||
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Tensho Oban were made by the Gotoes goldsmith in the late 16th century by the orders of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The above picture is a large "Tensho Oban". |
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi came to rule the nation in 1590 and acquired a large amount of gold and silver by putting mines all over Japan under his control and minting new gold and silver coins. This mintage was followed by the nationwide unification of money by Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Edo Period. Obans were not generally used in daily transactions but only for special purposes such as rewards and gifts. Oban bore the indication "10 ryo", "Goto", and the signature of Goto on the obverse. 10 ryo represented not the face value but 165g in weight. Oban (See above) were 17 cm long and 10 cm wide, which is regarded as the biggest existing gold coin in the world. |
