View source for Ryukyu Islands (1862-65) 125 mon

[[Image:Japan SA38-1436o.jpg|300px|thumb|Steve Album sale 38, lot 1436]]
[[Image:Japan SA38-1436r.jpg|300px|thumb]]
[[Image:SB223-74083o.jpg|300px|thumb|Stack's Bowers February 2023 Collector's Choice sale, lot 74083]]
[[Image:SB223-74083r.jpg|300px|thumb]]

The first specimen was lot 1436 in Stephen Album sale 38 (Santa Rosa, CA, September 2020), where it sold for $505.75. The catalog description<sup>[1]</sup> noted, "[[Japan|JAPAN]]: RYUKYUS: Sho Tai, 1848-1879, AE 125 mon, Isinohama mint, han shu on reverse, seal script, cast 1862-65, EF, ex Dr. Axel Wahlstedt Collection. The half shu denomination was a round coin with a square hole introduced alongside the oblong 100 mon by Satsuma, which ordered it to circulate at the value of 248 mon despite it weighing only 10 to 12 times the weight of a single mon coin. The word shu is a Japanese unit of measurement used with gold currency, indicating that the Satsuma government was trying to fix the exchange rate between the copper mon coins and gold currency such as the Koban. Officially, one half shu would mean 32 coins would have the value of one ryo, though this conversion rate seems unlikely to have occurred in practice. The production of these coins was set up by Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira in order to rebuild Satsuma's economy; in total, around one million ryo worth of Ryukyuan coins were minted from 1862 to 1865." The second specimen was lot 74083 in Stack's Bowers Collector's Choice sale (Costa Mesa, CA, February 2023), where it sold for $168. The catalog description<sup>[2]</sup> noted, "JAPAN. Ryukyu Islands. Okinawa. 1/2 Shu, ND (1863). Grade: CHOICE VERY FINE. This handsome and nicely preserved example displays lovely rich brown patina with plenty of naturally rough surface texture in the open fields. One small chopmark is noticed on the edge, presumably applied during the manufacturing process, mentioned for accuracy."

''Recorded mintage:'' unknown.

''Specification:'' copper, the first specimen 33.04 g, the second specimen 33.75 g, 43.05 mm diameter. 

''Catalog reference:'' KM-C115; JC-08-10, H-6.29, JNDA-138.2.

''[[Bibliography|Source:]]''
* Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, ''Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed.,'' Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
* ''The Catalog of Japanese Coins and Banknotes,'' Tokyo: JNDA (Japanese Numismatic Dealers Assn.), 2014. 
* <sup>[1]</sup>Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Norman Douglas Nicol, ''Auction 38, featuring the Dabestani Collection of Persian Coins,'' Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2020.
* <sup>[2]</sup>Orsini, Matt, Kyle Ponterio and Jeremy Bostwick, ''February 2023 World Collectors Choice Online Auction, featuring the David Sterling Collection,'' Costa Mesa, CA: Stack's Bowers Galleries, Inc., 2023.

''Link to:''
* [[Akita (1862) 100 mon KM-6.2]]
* [[Ryukyu Islands (1863) 100 mon]]
* [[Coins and currency dated 1862]]

[[Category:Selections from Stephen Album sale 38]][[Category:Selections from the Stack's Bowers 2023 Collector's Choice sale]]