This coin is based on the Song dynasty Chinese coin Hsian Fu Tong Bao. It is not clear where this was made, but my reference book suggests Kyuushuu. A Japanese friend tells me that it has been found in caches of great quantities in Edo and Osaka, and probably was made and circulated at the very beginning of the 16th century. The coin is relatively small and thin, the characters are poorly cast and the space between the characters tends to bulge and frequently has "stars" in it, but the coin somehow feels more solid than the Annam floater coins of the same size. It exists in many varieties, some common and some rare. One of the rarest gives this coin its name: On the back written upside down are the characters "Tenka," meaning "The Realm" or "The Ruler." Shoufu Tsuuhou This coin is the most common variety. 正様