JAPAN

Coin

1 Mon

Shimasen

(?-?)

・ Shima-sen (Shimasen, Island Coins) 

Shima-sen, or Island Coins, refers to locally used coinage that circulated mainly during the Edo period (1603–1868) in remote islands or geographically isolated regions of Japan. These coins were not officially issued by the Tokugawa shogunate, but were instead locally produced substitutes created to compensate for chronic shortages of official currency.

Historical Background

During the Edo period, the circulation of gold, silver, and copper coins was largely concentrated on the mainland.

Remote islands and small coastal communities often faced:

• Limited access to official coinage

• Dependence on irregular maritime transport

• Small-scale local economies

As a result, local authorities, island officials, or influential merchants introduced Shima-sen as practical, everyday currency to sustain local commerce.

Characteristics

• Unofficial local coinage

• Circulation strictly limited to specific islands or regions

• Made from copper, iron, lead, or mixed metals

• Crude casting with irregular shapes and weights

• Inscriptions consisting of place names or simplified characters

• Used mainly for small daily transactions

The Most Distinctive Feature of Shima-sen

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Shima-sen is that the Chinese characters engraved on the coins are often inaccurate, malformed, or not properly constructed as written characters.

This is generally attributed to the fact that most of the individuals involved in producing Shima-sen lacked formal literacy.

Many of the makers were unable to write, and in some cases even read, Chinese characters, and therefore engraved characters by imitation rather than knowledge.

As a result, the coins frequently display distorted, incomplete, or meaningless character forms, which give Shima-sen its uniquely crude and expressive appearance.

This feature clearly reflects the nature of Shima-sen as a purely practical, locally created currency, rather than an institutionally controlled monetary issue.

Areas of Use

• Islands around Kyushu

• Islands of the Seto Inland Sea

• Remote islands along the Sea of Japan

In many cases, the exact issuing authority remains unknown due to the lack of surviving documentation.

International shipping

We use the Japan post Service (Closed on Saturdays, Sundays)

 

Takes 25-45 days (Mail with tracking number & insurance)

Combined Shipping Always

Payment policy

Please make a payment within 3 days, otherwise automatically unpaid case will be opened

As always, the coin pictured is the coin you will receive

 

We do our best to describe the coin up for bid in our amateur opinion

 

Please look at the pictures and grade for yourself

We have not cleaned or altered coins & banknotes