World Coin BookWorld coin encyclopedia

835

Jōwa Shōhō: Imperial Coin No. 6

Issued in Jōwa 2 and identified by the Currency Museum as the first Japanese coin whose inscription used the era name.

承和昌寶Jōwa Shōhō

Representative Jōwa Shōhō from the Tokyo National Museum Kōchō Jūnisen group Other face not present in the approved source
Representative source face; the other face is unavailable.National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan / ColBase · CC BY 4.0
Sequence
6 / 12
Issue year
835
Era
承和 2
Authority
Imperial court under Emperor Ninmyō

Historical context

Issued in Jōwa 2 and identified by the Currency Museum as the first Japanese coin whose inscription used the era name.

Inscription and reading

承和昌寶 · Jōwa Shōhō · Jowa Shoho

Reading confidence · high

Observed catalog specimens

Measurements, metal, and cast fabric

These values are comparative observations, not official tolerances or authentication cutoffs.

Weight
2.01–3.33 g
Diameter
20.47–23.36 mm
Metal
copper alloy
Hole
central square hole
Rims
cast inner and outer rims, often lighter than earlier issues
Casting
cast copper-alloy cash coin

Composition evidence

Later sampled issues generally have low tin and variable lead-rich copper alloy.

Low-tin Cu-Pb tendency in sampled coins.

Attribution boundary

A named court and era establish issue context. They do not establish the physical mint of an unidentified specimen.

high for identity, issue date, authority, and era-name significance

Condition and authenticity

weak strike-like appearance is usually cast weakness; record corrosion separately

Open cast-coin guide →

Evidence

Sources and scope

These links support the claims on this page. Source authority does not imply permission to republish source images.

Wado Kaichin and Ancient Coinage Exhibition Catalogue, Pages 11–15 Currency Museum, Bank of Japan

Issue dates, emperors, policy evidence, production decline, and historical notes for Ryuhei Eiho through Kengen Taiho.

Open source
Measurement Catalog for Ancient Coin Types from Mannen Tsuho through Kengen Taiho Currency Museum, Bank of Japan

Specimen-level outer diameter and weight observations for issues two through twelve; observations are not statutory standards.

Open source
Chemical Composition Study of the Twelve Ancient Coin Types Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan

Measured copper, tin, lead, iron, arsenic, and antimony patterns across sampled ancient coins, with specimen-level limitations.

Open source