2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The Production and Circulation of coins in the medieval Kyusyu and Okinawa
| Project/Area Number |
11630083
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Economic history
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| Research Institution | Shimonoseki City University |
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Principal Investigator |
SAKURAKI Shinichi Shimonoseki City University, Economics, Professor, 経済学部, 教授 (00259681)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
NAKAJIMA Keiichi Keio University, Literature, Associate Professor, 文学部, 助教授 (50251476)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1999 – 2001
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| Keywords | large-sized coin / no-pattern coin [Mumom-sen] / medieval monetary system / numismatics / analytical chemistry / hoard / single-find |
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| Research Abstract |
Collection of single-finds in the medieval 'Hakata' agreed generally with the composition of species of coins observed in hoards, however, it turned out through my research that large-sized coins and no-pattern coins [Mumon-sen] could characteristically be observed in the excavated single-finds. Recently, there has been an increasing finding of no-pattern coins in the urban areas other than South Kyushu and Okinawa, and this suggests the new possibility of wide circulation of these coins in the late medieval Kyushu. The findings from early modern 'Nagasaki' contains certain groups of coins, which are thought to be of inland product. Except the Kajiki-sen that was minted in Kagoshima, it is highly presumed that they are of local product.
All the medieval coins circulated in Japan were of tie same formal value of Ichi- Mon. Our research focused how people recognized and valued privately-minted coins in such a medieval numismatic system from the medieval dwellers viewpoint and gave evaluat
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ion of the place of private coins in the currency circulation. After the latter half of the fourteenth century, people came to pay attention to the letters and characters minted on the coins. The archaeological proof also supports the theory.
Lastly, our research have analysed a group of coins that are said to be minted in Kyushu and clarified the numismatic characters of these coins, and also gave analysis on the documentary historical materials on the coins. It is highly significant that new documentary source that states KouBu-Tuho had widely circulated in Satsuma was newly discovered in this research. In the area of analysis in material, my research has established the process of the shift. From the normal bronze coins, which are the mixture of three metals ; copper, tin and lead, gradually the ratio of tin has decreased and it became the amalgam of copper and lead. Then, finally pure copper coins came to be produced. So far as the mold is concerned, I could confirm a mold of KouBu-Tuho in Okinawa. Less
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