Pair Victorian Silver Mounted Japanese Gold Koban Menu Holders

A pair of Victorian silver mounted Japanese gold Koban Coins from the Manen era (1860-1867), the oval silver frames with spring loaded hinges and applied scrolled wire feet.

By Alfred Fuller, London, 1884. Also stamped with the retailers mark of Ortner & Houle, St James's Street.

Kobans are traditional Japanese coins that were often used as bullion and for trading purposes and were struck in the gold and silver alloy known as electrum. This coinage was issued in the form of the Koban (one Ryo), the Goryoban (five Ryo) and the Oban (ten Ryo).

The Kobans used in these menu holders are from the Tokugawa shogunate and they represent Japan’s final issue of traditional coinage before the Meiji government changed to western-style coinage. These examples of the gold Koban of 1 Ryo were approximately twenty years old when mounted as menu holders, by which time they had already become something of a curiosity.

The official weight of the Manen era Koban was 2 Troy dwt. (0.11 Troy oz. / 3.3 g.) of electrum with a purity of 57.4 % gold to 42.6 % silver.

£1,350.00