This is a tuffy for me can i just send them in for grading?Japanese silver rectangular coins.

Type2 · December 21, 2012 1:37PM

This is one that i know nada about. Any help will help can i just send them in or do i need a number for them?
are they real or fake? Thanks in advance.

This one is Gold 3 grams.

Andres · December 22, 2012 12:49AM

Japanese silver rectangular coins from the last Shogun period minted between 1853 - 1868 , check out eBay under 1 shu / 1 bu for market prices.
nice collection

jt88 · December 22, 2012 9:03AM

I think you can send them to grade without a number. They will figure it out for you, that's what you pay them for.

Pokermandude · December 22, 2012 9:06AM

I don't know much about them, but I'd try to compare them to images of known authentic and fake pieces. Some of yours look like they have very mushy details. That bottom left (in pic #1) looks especially bad. Just my opinion.

SYRACUSIAN · December 23, 2012 5:06AM

Japanese Bu(s) don't look particularly nice in a slab made for circular coins. Furthermore, some of them (especially in lower grades) aren't that expensive to justify the cost, but there's always the security of authenticity, once they're encapsulated. Pls make a mental note to resuscitate this thread for Cathy (Stork) and Roy (satootoko) ,or the mysterious but knowledgeable Mr sumnom, to see them and give you precise info. I too own a Japanese 2007 catalogue, (a treasured gift from Cathy) but I'm far from certain that I can still identify such exotic coins.

nicholasz219 · December 23, 2012 5:17AM

This is the first time I have seen any of these. Some of the "grain" in the metal looks a little suspicious in the example that is in the first picture of a 2 X 2. Or is that common in these? Again, I have no idea because it is my first time ever seeing these.

candy2012mustang · December 23, 2012 1:57PM

They are real. Search "Japan Bu" on ebay and you will see pages. I belive the second type is called a "shu"

I have one of the bu's graded by our hosts MS64...I dont know if yours are worth grading.

-Kev

satootoko · December 23, 2012 3:24PM

<< <i>Pls make a mental note to resuscitate this thread for Roy (satootoko) to see them and give you precise info. >>

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it's pretty much misplaced. I'm basically a novice when it comes to coinage of the Shogunate.

However, bearing in mind that these are cast, not struck, I don't see any red flags about authenticity.

The loose ones (bottom pictures upside down) and the silver one in a 2x2 all appear to be Ichi-bu Gin (silver 1 bu) but I'm not sure of the precise variety or date within the period 1837-1869.

Your description of the gold piece has me puzzled. It looks like an Ichi-bu Kin (gold 1 bu), but I can't find any information on a 3g piece. The closest are 3.25g cast from 1736-1818, 3.27g cast from 1819-29, 2.8g cast from 1837-58.

Stork · December 24, 2012 2:55PM

This is a nice reference if you want to learn more...I have the book buried somewhere at the moment.

I'm a total novice with these so it would take too long for me to pore through the book right now. I may be able to give it a look up over the next few days, but it's nearly 7 am on Christmas morning for me so I expect to be busy shortly

. These are on my 'list' of things to learn about in 2013 once my life settles down....of course that was on my list in 2012 and I never got to them.

Cathy

Edited for sucky grammar/spelling....

satootoko · December 24, 2012 3:37PM

<< <i>This is a nice reference if you want to learn more. >>

I had forgotten that Hartil discusses the rectangular coins as well as the Chinese-style cash coins.

I'm no longer puzzled about the gold coin.

It's Hartil 8.31, 3g of .229 gold. The Edo (Tokyo) Mint produced 6,403,287 of them in 1868-69. The JNDA designation is 09-28.

Obviously I'm no expert, but it does look genuine to me.

Stork · December 24, 2012 3:46PM

Hi Roy!

shirohniichan · December 24, 2012 4:05PM

This is a small numismatic footnote, but the gold nibu coins were refined in San Francisco and sent back to Japan in the early 1870s so the new Japanese mint could strike gold yen coins.

sumnom · December 25, 2012 1:07AM

Long time, no see, Shiro. How goes it?

STLNATS · December 25, 2012 1:26AM

These are all similar to the examples I've had for years so I guess I'll also jump on the bandwagon and agree they look ok, altho a few have wear. These are all petty common so I'd agree they may not be cost justified to slab, and it ruins the fun you have handling them!

Type2 · December 25, 2012 11:14AM

Thanks all for the help, Love all the info this is why i like this place every one happy to help out when needed.

This is a tuffy for me can i just send them in for grading?Japanese silver rectangular coins.

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