Meiwa 5 momme silver

Japanese: 明和五匁銀 - めいわごもんめぎん

The first fixed-price silver coin of the Edo Shogunate was issued in September 1765 (Meiwa 2). The Shogunate's silver coins were mainly chogin and mameitagin, which were weighted coins, but this fixed-price silver coin, weighing 5 momme per coin, was minted, and two years later, in 1767, it was stipulated that 12 5 momme silver coins were worth 1 ryo of gold. It was minted using the Sado Shinin silver as a model, and was used as a silver coin in place of gold coins in Edo, where gold was used, and was seen as a silver coin in place of copper coins in the provinces. This new fixed-price silver coin was not well received by money changers, but the subsequent issue of Meiwa Nanryo Nishu silver coins led to a greater recognition of fixed-price silver coins, and their circulation improved.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

1765年(明和2)9月発行の江戸幕府最初の定位銀貨。幕府貨幣の銀貨は丁銀（ちようぎん）･豆板銀（まめいたぎん）を主体とし，これらは秤量貨幣であったが，1枚で5匁の量目をもつこの定位銀貨が造られ，2年後の67年からは五匁銀12枚をもって金1両通用と規定された。これは佐渡新印銀を手本として鋳造され，金遣い（きんつかい）の江戸では金貨代り通用の銀貨とされ，また地方では銭貨代りの銀貨と見られた。この新しい定位銀貨は両替屋仲間であまり好評ではなかったが，これに続いて発行された明和南鐐（なんりよう）二朱銀になると，定位銀貨に対する認識も深まり，その流通状態は好転するに至った。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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