Tempo Tsuho (100 Mon) | Authentic Japanese Antique Coin

Description

TENPO TSUHO — A Distinctive Coin of Late Edo Japan

A Distinctive Oval Design

Unlike the familiar round copper cash coins of Japan, the Tempo Tsuho immediately stands out for its large oval form and square central hole.

The obverse bears the characters 天保通寳 (Tempo Tsuho), while the reverse is marked 當百 (To Hyaku), indicating its official denomination of 100 mon. Its unusually large size and distinctive shape make it one of the most immediately recognizable coins of the late Edo period.

Historical Background

The Tempo Tsuho was first issued by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1835, during the Tenpo era—a period marked by economic hardship, famine, rising prices, and increasing pressure on the shogunate’s finances.

Although officially valued at 100 mon, the coin’s intrinsic metal value was far below its face value. Its issuance therefore provided the shogunate with substantial seigniorage and reflected the financial pressures and monetary policies of late Edo Japan.

What Was 100 Mon Worth?

Despite its official denomination of 100 mon, the Tempo Tsuho commonly circulated at around 80 mon.

To put that value into perspective, a bowl of soba—one of the everyday foods enjoyed by the people of Edo—cost roughly 16 mon. A single Tempo Tsuho therefore represented the equivalent of several ordinary meals, making it a comparatively high-denomination copper coin in daily circulation.

More than simply a means of payment, the Tempo Tsuho offers a tangible glimpse into the economy and everyday life of Japan during the final decades of Tokugawa rule.

Each coin offered by Samurai Antique Coins & Bills has been carefully sourced from the Japanese antique market and thoroughly inspected for authenticity before being listed for sale.