Unsigned - wood netsuke of coins

Circa 1870

A wood group of twelve coins, eleven of which are the copper kan’ei tsuho carrying a value of one mon, the twelfth an unidentified square coin. The currency of the common man, when strung together they were sometimes accepted with a small discount on the price of the items being purchased. The coins were forged with a square central hole for stringing.

Width: 4.5cm