Bitasen

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Bitasen (鐚銭) refers to a type of privately minted coin that circulated from the middle of the Muromachi period to the early Edo period in Japan.

History[edit]

"Bitasen" from the late Muromachi period

By definition, the word Bitasen (鐚銭) translates to "bad metal" ("Bita") or poor-quality coins with worn surfaces.[1][2] As these coins did not originate from the government, they are also referred to as Shichūsen (私鋳銭) aka privately-minted Japanese coins.[3] Previously made coins issued by the government were last used during the 10th century before they were suspended and commodity money took their place.[4] In the mid-12th century, large amounts of Chinese coins called "toraisen" were introduced to Japan.[4][5] By the 13th century these coins had replaced commodity money as currency after the Kamakura shogunate's initial reluctance gave way to approval.[4] As the "mere import of coins" could not meet the needs of a growing economy, Japanese clans and wealthy merchants began to issue their own private coins.[5]

While sources agree on the Muromachi period as a starting point for when "bitasen" co-circulated with the Chinese toraisen cash coins, there are differing opinions on an exact date. Mentions include the year 1404 by the Japan Mint, while others give a later period in the 16th century.[3][6]


Over time these coins would become damaged, and this made sellers more discriminating in what coins they would accept at face value, often accepting them only at ¼ of a good quality coin. Though Chinese coins would continue to circulate in Eastern Japan, the confusion and chaos caused by the Bitasen coinage caused rice to replace copper coinage in Western Japan.[7] From 1608 onwards it was illegal to pay with Bitasen, and the shogunate opened more mines for the production of copper, silver, and gold coinages.[8][9][10][11][12] Despite this, however, Bitasen continued to circulate within Japan, but from 1670 the Eiraku Tsūhō was completely prohibited from circulation and depreciated in favour of the Kan'ei Tsūhō.[13]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "鐚銭". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  2. ^ Luke Roberts (Associate Professor). "Bitasen 鐚銭". Department of History University of California at Santa Barbara. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "History of Japanese Coins". Japan Mint. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "The History of Japanese Currency". Bank of Japan. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Aila de la Rive. "Money in the Land of the Rising Sun I: The Copper Coins of Ancient Japan" (PDF). Money Museum. p. 8–11. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  6. ^ William E. Deal (2007). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press. p. 125.
  7. ^ Kuroda Akinobu, Kahei shisutemu no sekaishi, 132-33; Sakurai Eiji, "Chûsei no kahei shinyô", 52. (in Japanese)
  8. ^ Việt Touch VIET NAM COINS & PAPER NOTES. AUTHOR: Thuan D. Luc COLLECTION: Bao Tung Nguyen VIET NAM NUMISMATICS © Chi D. Nguyen Retrieved: 24 June 2017.
  9. ^ Dutch-Asiatic trade 1620-1740 by Kristof Glamann, Danish Science Press published.
  10. ^ Japanese coins in Southern Vietnam and the Dutch East India Company 1633-1638 by Dr. A van Aelst
  11. ^ History of the Yen by Hiroshi Shinjo, The Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University published.
  12. ^ Sources of Japanese Tradition by Ryusaku Tsunoda, WM Theodore de Bary, Donald Keene.
  13. ^ Japan Mint - History of Japanese coins. Retrieved: 26 June 2017.
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