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 Replies: 7 / Views: 2,223 |
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Valued Member
Spain
112 Posts |
So, I've wanted one of these since I read "Shogun" by James Clavell (highly recommended, by the way). It's basically an oblong piece of gold used in feudal Japan. I was wondering if anyone here had any information to share on them, like price-level, dimensions/weight, years to look for or any auction houses (preferably in Europe) that specialize in these types of coins. I am based in Europe, so it's not really something that is seen with any regularity in the auction houses that I am familiar with.
Thanks in advance.
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Moderator
 United States
34423 Posts |
@vol, we see posts about gold Kobans occasionally, so using the search functionality of CCF would be a good start for your research. I used the keywords GOLD KOBAN and found multiple threads about potential fakes vs. the real thing. Here is a link to one of them: http://goccf.com/t/367153As to reliable dealers, I believe that Stephen Album has these in auctions from time to time. Of course SARC is US-based rather than European. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Valued Member
Hong Kong
176 Posts |
The size and gold content of the koban were steadily dropped off, so I think the last issued gold koban, the Man'en Koban (1860-1867), tends to be less expensive. Maybe you want to look into that. These are mostly from Japanese auctions but the hammered prices are good reference. https://www.sixbid-coin-archive.com...currency=eur |
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
I don't want to discourage you here, but a word of caution is advised.
Like the USA, there were some struggles in Japan concerning the gold and silver standard for backing currency value. When the Tokugawa shogunate was unifying the country they tried to balance this situation, but they set the internal conversion rate of gold to silver different than the global base, and gold in Japan was "priced" relative to silver at a lower value than the rest of the world. It led to large amounts of silver being brought into Japan where it was exchanged for gold, obviously at favorable conversion rates for the purchaser of the gold. Gold left the country at a rapid rate. The flow of gold out of Japan means the genuine gold pieces are rare. Larger denomination pieces (larger than 2 bu) have been heavily counterfeited. Per Craig's "Coins of the World 1759-1850" (published 1976 and the source of the "C" numbers in contemporary coin catalogs), it is estimated that 90% of the koban and oban pieces are not legitimate!
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Valued Member
 Spain
112 Posts |
@Kidorui Thanks for your info. Are the illegitimate ones easy to discern from the real ones? Would it be safe to assume that kobans sold at an auction would be real? I've seen some up for sale at auction houses in Europe and they go for about 2000 dollars a piece (depending on type). My wife is Japanese and frequently goes to Japan, so I'm assuming that if she were to go to a coin shop over there, they would be authentic.
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New Member
United States
17 Posts |
Hello Volvicch First, I checked my reference. To be fair, Craig attributes the 90% remark to John A. Novak, one of the many sources that helped Craig prepare the book. A Google search on Novak gives few hits, but he seems to have been an established collector in Japan circa 1964. My opinion is that there are probably good and bad counterfeits on the market. Some obvious fakes and other excellent replicas that will challenge the experts. I think the buyer has to be educated and aware, especially for a purchase in the range of $2000. To start, if you do not have one, you have to get a copy of "The Catalog of Japanese Coins and Banknotes", put out yearly by the Japan Numismatic Dealers Association and often called simply the "JNDA". There are 19 pages on the oban and koban pieces alone in my 2015 issue. It is mostly in Japanese but your wife can help you. As for auctions, this link http://goccf.com/t/421876&SearchTerms=Japandiscusses a coin that several people think is a counterfeit (and I agree), yet a reputable auction house is stated to have authenticated the item. Sorry to not be of more assistance. |
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Valued Member
Spain
112 Posts |
 Thanks for the information, Kidorui. It was very helpful. |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Krause World coins also warns of counterfeits.
Unfortunately, I have seen very little published information in English, that relates to the identification of them.
Would be good, if a CCF'er can provide a link in this regard.
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Replies: 7 / Views: 2,223 |
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Posted 06/22/2022 03:10 am
