Dzizyasatsu, sukubasatsu and "God's money" ...

17
As you know, money is everything. And bad is the state in which there are problems with finances. That is why, as soon as Ieyasu, Tokugawa became a shogun and got into his hands the full power in Japan, as he immediately began to solve "money issues". This was all the more important since the monetary system of Japan at that time was so peculiar in its nature that it is necessary to tell about it.

Dzizyasatsu, sukubasatsu and "God's money" ...

"He does not need gold, since he has a simple product." All this, of course, is true, but how to live without trade? Japanese shop era Tokugawa.



Like many other rulers, the Tokugawa clan approved its exclusive right to issue all kinds of coins, as well as full control over the circulation of money in its own state. Then the new monetary system of Japan (as well as of other countries) specialized in the three most popular metals used in the production of coins - gold, silver and copper. But on the other hand, so-called “private money” remained in use in Japan, representing a very heterogeneous mass of banknotes issued by provincial princes - daimyo, which numbered about three hundred. Private money later turned from metal into paper money ...

Already in 1601, five types of coins were issued, which became known as keite, and which were in circulation until the middle of the XIX century.

The basis of the Tokugawa monetary system was a weight unit such as ryo (15 g = 1 ryo). Gold coins circulated in the country strictly at par, but silver money, in which silver was about 80%, was in circulation by weight. Coins of silver were produced in two types - they were coins either in the shape of an elongated oval, or they had the form of such a flat bean. The unit weight was taken 1 momme (1 momme = 3,75 g). Copper coins in their time waited only in 1636. They were produced in 1, 4 and 100 mon values. Their size was from 24 to 49 mm, weight from 3,75 to 20,6 g.


Coban 1714 on the left and 1716 on the right.

Later, all kinds of coins that were minted by the Tokugawa clan were just the first type. The difference between them was only in the amount and purity of the metal. Money bore the name of the era in which time were made.

The Tokugawa clan put all the mines in the state, as well as the reserves of metals, under the control of special organizations called Kindza (meaning “gold workshop”) and Ginza (“silver workshop”). At the same time, mints were created everywhere. But the copper under the contracts with the authorities in Japan could have minted ... the merchants themselves!

With 1608, the next stage in the development of the monetary system of Japan begins: a new official exchange rate is introduced, adjusted to the new standards, according to which 1 ry gold matched 50 silver momm, and 1 silver momme - 4 cammon (1 cammon = 3,75 kg) copper coins or coins made from other metals.

Obviously, it was very difficult for the shoguns to put the country's monetary system in order. One of the reasons for this was the very long circulation of coins of local princes, which took place until the end of the seventeenth century. And their actual exchange rate for quite a long time was established by the market for the content of the precious metal in them.

For example, it is obn dignity in 10 ryo at the price of the market was 7,5 ryo gold. Somewhat later, a copper coin worth 100 of mon in the market was equivalent to five coins of 1 mon. A significant proportion of the blame in this situation lay on the counterfeiters who flooded the country with countless copper coins of the largest value.

Gold and silver coins had different demand. For example, in the former capital of Japan, Edo (now Tokyo), citizens preferred gold coins. They were taken at face value, while in the more developed western part of the state (this is both Osaka and other cities) - silver was in demand, estimated only by weight. And only at the end of the XVII century. both gold, and silver, and copper coins received equal circulation in the country.

Most large sums of money were called tsutsumkingin and were small bundles with gold or silver coins inside for a certain amount. The coins were carefully packed in special handmade washi paper and held together with the personal stamp of the person who collected the bundle. For example, the “dimensions” of convolution with the amount of money in 50 ryo were 6 × 3,2 × 3,3, see. Test convolutions released “to the light” in the XVII century. exclusively for rewards or for use as gifts. Know-how was soon noticed, appreciated and found application in a commercial environment. Both gold and silver bundles produced several clans, especially close to the domineering top. Their authority was so high that the tsutsumi with the name stamp used during the deals were never opened and no one counted the coins in them. Nobody could even think that the coins in them could be false, or heterogeneous, or there would be a shortage of money. Then matitsitsumi (or city convolutions) of small dignity appeared. And the circulation of tsutsumkingin in Japan ended only 1874 year, when the state finally switched to the monetary circulation of the modern type.


In the same year, 1600, Japan began issuing paper money, which was called Yamadahagaki. The miners of the ancient Shinto temple in Ise in the province of Yamada (Mie prefecture) were engaged in issuing banknotes, therefore they were also called “God's money”. The bills were printed, firstly, in order to protect finances from falling value of metal coins due to their wear, and secondly, it is trite to save from inconveniences that always occur when there are too many coins in your pocket and it is hard to carry them.

Yamadahagaki easily exchanged for silver coins. Known paper money in denominations of 1 momme, 5, 3 and 2 fun. Subsequently, when the Japanese authorities banned the circulation of any other money, except for those that were released by themselves, only the Yamadahagaki received the go-ahead of Edo for circulation in the province of Ise-Yamada.

Yamadahagaki were very much in demand by the Japanese, because they had high reliability and had a similar monetary reserve. Starting from the XVIII century, every seven years they began to exchange old banknotes for new ones. Such measures protected banknotes from fakes and, in addition, restrained the release into circulation of an excess amount of money. Yamadahagaki stopped their circulation in 1871 year.


A kind of bills that used in Japan no less in demand were Hansatsu (from the word han - clan). They were produced by local daimyo feudal lords and had circulation only in the territory controlled by their issuer. Hansatsu 1600,1666 and 1868's.

The seal of the Hansatsu was under the control of the power of Edo. The government guaranteed the issue to Hansatsu and determined the scope of the issue of bank notes. Printing was carried out by merchant guilds, which received special permission and operated under the strict control of the authorities.

Some princes were in principle against the circulation of coins in their lands. This allowed them to exchange Hansats for coins at their own discretion and to their advantage, and to print extra bills that were not provided with metal coins. The release of their paper money helped the daimyo to eliminate the consequences of the raging elements, and in particular, to cover the losses from the ruined rice crop.

Realizing how much profit there would be, some daimyo began to control all types of trade deals with their neighbors. Well, paper banknotes were used for a simple reason: a guarantee of converting hard currency received for trading in other territories of the country. Individual princes exchanged their Hansatsu for both coins and "consumer goods". For example, in the Mino province, which produced only umbrellas, so-called Kasa-Satsu or umbrella bills were in use.


The hiding places for gold money in the Tokugawa era: from top to bottom - a hiding place in a wakizashi sheath; hiding place for golden cobans in tanto sheaths; stash in a keyring with a cheap coin to distract eyes; hiding place inside the guard-tsuba, made for the sake of this of the two halves

In 1707, the Tokugawa government vetoed the issue of Hansatsu. Thus, the ruling elite tried to intensify the circulation of coins issued on the eve of the ban. 23, the Tokugawa clan ban, was held, then canceled. The reason was another excess of coins, as well as the abolition of the natural rice tax. At the same time, in order to streamline rice prices, the authorities in Osaka founded a grain exchange market. Later, the territory of Hansatsu circulation steadily increased. However, in the XIX century, with the fall of the shogunate, Hansatsu went into oblivion.

Paper money, which, as you know, had certain restrictions in circulation, was released by all and sundry: the imperial aristocracy, the clergy, the merchants, the mines, and even the hotel towns on the trade roads. They were issued as needed and compensated for the shortage of more reliable money printed by the shogun and the daimyo. For example, churches printed dzisyasatsu to "sponsor" construction work. The importance of banknotes was determined by the status of the temple among the local population. The nobility of the imperial court released in Kyoto Kugesatsu, for which it was possible to purchase goods exclusively on its territory. The main trade routes did not stand aside and also began to issue their own money, called sukubasatsu. They paid only for the provision of road services. The “currency” of the individual settlements was called tёsonatsatsu, and asyoninsatsu were printed and used by merchants exclusively for personal use.


On this Tokugawa era cuirass there is an unusual door, behind which, most likely, there was a container for money.

By the 19th century, 1694 was a kind of money in the country, and from the 16th century, various bills of exchange were added to it. Alas, Japan did not pass the cup of those vices into which every state inevitably fell: financial embezzlement, currency speculation, and the like. In addition, the country was in dire need of metal for minting coins, which was sorely lacking. Together, this was the result of Japan’s very slow and gradual entry into the world monetary system. But it is already completely different. story...
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17 comments
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  1. +5
    3 October 2016 07: 20
    Yes, you won’t envy Japanese numismatists, try to figure it out.
    Thanks, very interesting.
    1. Cat
      +3
      3 October 2016 07: 34
      On the contrary, such a wide selection ....... Already enviable ...!
      Thanks to the author!
  2. +7
    3 October 2016 07: 25
    [B]
    Paper money, which, as you know, had certain restrictions on circulation, was issued by all and sundry: the imperial aristocracy, and clergy, and merchants, and mines, and even hotel towns on trade roads. [
    / B]
    On the principle: Yes, take a mustache, I'll draw it for myself! .. Thank you, I read it with great interest ..
  3. +1
    3 October 2016 10: 19
    THX! Very interesting!
  4. +2
    3 October 2016 10: 33
    Today we have two authors, so thanks to the authors! Interesting and informative. Numismatists really expanse.
  5. +1
    3 October 2016 13: 49
    Vyacheslav Olegovich, Svetlana, in all books on the history of samurai it is indicated that they received a salary in the "koku" metrological system. No explanation or comment. It turns out that rice was counted for money and received in money (up to the locally used "tugriks" of the local small daimyo)?
    1. +1
      3 October 2016 14: 16
      Oh sure. You could get rice and then sell it at the market price, but you could have money. But then the price was set by the daimyo himself. Koku is about 160 kg of rice. You can sell for a higher price, you can sell it cheaper, or you can overtake it on sake. On the other hand, money can buy more, you can buy less and also buy sake and "get drunk" to death. Or buy a whore ... Complete freedom!
      1. 0
        3 October 2016 14: 31
        to each according to his needs, and depending on the degree of corruption!))))) Thank you for your detailed answer! Before this article I was already ready to believe that they had a natural exchange there, centuries before the 16th, at least! Enlightened, otherwise all "koku" and "koku". Another question, may I? as far as I understand, animal husbandry in medieval Japan was undeveloped? At least large (with the exception of horse breeding, and then for military purposes). That is, rice and carps - yes, but cattle?
        1. +1
          3 October 2016 14: 48
          Livestock was bad until the 18th century. Only the samurai had horses. And the peasants did not have bulls and cows, since the fields were small. But already the first Russian travelers who visited Japan saw cows and bulls there, and this is 1739. But they didn’t drink milk, because the Japanese didn’t digest lactose, and they kept cows as “mothers” of bulls. Plow the fields for rice.
          1. +1
            3 October 2016 15: 04
            At Pikul's (of course, he cannot be taken on absolute faith) I read approximately the following: "The Japanese kept carp everywhere, but they did not know how and did not want to take care of domestic animals, and even the horses were brought to a terrible state." Also, in no book I have not come across a mention of animal husbandry. Hunting - yes, it was mentioned. Therefore, it became interesting how the samurai did the household, besides rice)))))
            1. +2
              3 October 2016 15: 32
              I do not know how they could bring horses to a terrible state if they had a culture of equestrian archers and traditions of horse riding and even equestrian sport. They also write about the ninja that they flew kites and rode fire-breathing cows, but this is nonsense.
            2. 0
              4 October 2016 01: 11
              Pikul has never been to Japan. Yes, and he was born in 1928. So from the point of view of realism, the description of Japan cannot be taken into account. But he wrote beautifully, as a child, I sincerely believed that he himself participated in Russian-Japanese. so organically he echoed Novikov-Surf.
  6. 0
    3 October 2016 15: 46
    kalibr,
    that is why I asked to enlighten me on the topic of animal husbandry!))
    1. +1
      3 October 2016 18: 46
      Well, I hope that with Pikul in this matter we figured out ...
      1. 0
        3 October 2016 21: 10
        Pikul, if desired, can find many historical inaccuracies. He is a writer, not a historian, therefore, from the point of view of history, trusting him too is not worth it (although it is read easily and beautifully). I received from you an answer to a question of interest))))
  7. Cat
    0
    3 October 2016 20: 31

    What a habit to take out of context.
    V. Pikul wrote about Japanese peasants and philistines, and not about samurai families, especially daimy, in the stables of which war horses were bred.
    Moreover, the words belong to the fabrication of an artistic character.
  8. 0
    4 October 2016 20: 30
    Wow! Great article. I learned a lot. Such a complex monetary system. In order to comprehend it, one had to live in Japan and precisely in that era.

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