Lot 3574

Description

Japan, Hosokura, pattern in copper of lead square one hundred mon with central square hole, four characters around, incuse character upper right, c.1863, (KM.30 [lead], JNDA 17). Good very fine, extremely rare.

A similar example and probably this specimen was in the Ward Smith and Money Company Sale 25 June 10, 1992, (lot 478). Hosokura was a lead mining district in Rikuchu Province in Northern Honshu. The copper pattern was apparently the mother coin for the lead cast examples usually seen and this example is slightly smaller than the lead pieces. This example is identical to the Ward specimen where it is described as copper plated lead?, and is probably a trial or pattern for the rare lead coinage.