- TOP
- Wado Kaichin Coins
Overview
Wado Kaichin Coins
- Museum No.
- JK252
Photo No：140304_JL_0009
Color type：Color
| Title | Wado Kaichin Coins |
|---|---|
| Designation | |
| Artist | |
| Category | Archaeology (J) |
| Country | Japan |
| Period | Nara |
| Century | |
| Year | |
| Quantity | |
| Materials | |
| Dimensions | Diameter 2.5cm |
| Inscription by | |
| Signature/Seals Etc | |
| Donor |
- Share >
-
This object may be one within a set or the title of a set. To see all objects in the set, perform a Category Search by the Museum Number below, entering numerals only before the hyphen.
In 1957 (Shôwa 32), 545 wadô kaichin ("bronze coins") were found on a roadside in Mitsukôji Town in southern Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. They were strung on cords and buried in earthen vessels. The exact reason why they were buried at this site remains unknown; however, this is the greatest number of wadô kaichin ever excavated from a single site. They bear simplified forms of the Chinese characters for kai and chin. The first wadô kaichin were issued in 708 (Wadô 1) to serve as a source of income for the construction of Heijôkyô, the ancient capital of Nara. Originally, each coin represented the daily wages of a laborer, but the value of the coins decreased over time.
Japan-Nara