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

In the mid-12th century, large amounts of Chinese coins called "toraisen" were introduced to Japan.[1][2] By the 13th century these coins had replaced commodity money as currency after the Kamakura shogunate's initial reluctance gave way to approval.[1] 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 coins which are referred to as Shichūsen (私鋳銭) aka privately-minted Japanese coins.[2][3] While sources agree on the Muromachi period as a starting point for "bitasen"/"toraisen" co-circulaton 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][4] By definition, the word Bitasen (鐚銭) translates to "bad metal" ("Bita") or poor-quality coins with worn surfaces.[5][6] These coins were essentially imitiation money which was struck in copper with "significant" amounts of lead to match the "toraisen" cash coins already in circulation.[2][4]

Bitasen had a fluctuating value that depended on their worth relative to the "toraisen".[4] Regional markets initially made their own decisions on the bitasen's value until the shogunate established a uniform valuation that was used in every Japanese region.[4] As per their namesake, Bitasen were coins "of inferior quality" that remained in circulation for a "long time" due to an overall lack of currency available at the time.[2] This in turn took its course on Japanese consumers throughout the 15th century who were irritated by the increasing number of damaged and worn-out coins.[2] Bitasen were frequently no longer accepted at their face value due to a practice called "erizeni", in which they were sorted out in favor of "toraisen".[2]


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. ^ a b "The History of Japanese Currency". Bank of Japan. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  3. ^ a b "History of Japanese Coins". Japan Mint. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d William E. Deal (2007). Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press. p. 125.
  5. ^ "鐚銭". Kotobank (in Japanese). Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  6. ^ Luke Roberts (Associate Professor). "Bitasen 鐚銭". Department of History University of California at Santa Barbara. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  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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