An Ōban (大判) was a monetary ovoid gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
plate, and the largest denomination of Tokugawa coinage
Tokugawa coinage was a unitary and independent metallic monetary system established by ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1601 in Japan, and which lasted throughout the Tokugawa period until its end in 1867.
History
The establishment of Tokugawa coi ...
. Tokugawa coinage worked according to a triple monetary standard, using gold, silver and bronze coins, each with their own denominations.
The first Oban – Tenshō Ōban (天正大判) – were minted by the Gotō family under the orders of Hideyoshi in 1588.''The Cambridge History of Japan: Early modern Japan'' by John Whitney Hall p.6/ref> The Tenshō Ōban was equivalent to ten Ryō (currency unit), Ryōs, or ten Koban (小判) plates, with a weight of 165 g.
Notes
References
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oban Coins of Japan Gold coins Modern obsolete currencies Edo period