Wadōkaichin


Wadōkaichin, also romanized as Wadō-kaichin or called Wadō-kaihō, is the oldest official Japanese coinage, having been minted starting on 29 August 708 on order of Empress Genmei.

Description

The Wadōkaichin began being produced following the discovery of large copper deposits in Japan during the early 8th century.
The coins, which were round with a square hole in the center, remained in circulation until 958 CE. These were the first of a series of coins collectively called jūnizeni or kōchō jūnisen.
"Wadōkaichin" is the transliteration of the four characters in the coin's inscription, which is thought to be composed of the era name Wadō, which could alternatively mean "happiness", and kaichin, thought to be related to "currency".
This coinage was inspired by the Chinese Tang dynasty coinage named Kaigen Tsūhō, first minted in Chang'an in 621 CE. The Wadōkaichin had the same specifications as the Chinese coin, with a diameter of 2.4 cm and a weight of 3.75 g.

Hoards of Wadōkaichin cash coins