Guide for attribution of Tenpo Tsuho (1835 – 1871) 天保通寶 Compiled by Heinz Gratzer All mother coins were cast in Edo and sent to the other mints, therefore the attribution of coins Tenpo Tsuho is very difficult. Every mint has different tiny counterstamps (shirushi 印) on the edge. For attribution should be checked shirushi, size of coin (length, width and thickness) and the distance (A) between Ten 天 and Ho 寶. Saikaku 細郭 - thin rims variety *** Chokaku 長郭 - same as Saikaku but with slightly rectangular hole *** Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims variety *** Chukaku 中郭 - same as Hirokaku but with slightly bigger hole *** Okaku 横郭 - same as Hirokaku but with slightly rectangular hole *** Composed signature of mintmaster Hashimoto Mitsuji
NAME OF COIN and Variety of COUNTERSTAMPS at both edge sides	MINT	PREFECTURE	TIME of ISSUE
Bakufu-sen 幕府銭 (government)	Honza 本座 Kinza 金座 Asakusabashi / Edo Chokaku 長郭 - same as Saikaku but slightly rectangular hole	Tokyo	Tenpo 6 (1835)
	Honza 本座 Kinza 金座 Asakusabashi / Edo Saikaku 細郭 - thin rims		Tenpo 8 (1837)
Kochihan-sen 高知藩銭	Tosa 土佐 Flat rims and inscription smaller counterstamps than usual	Kochi
Satsumahan-sen 薩摩藩銭	Satsuma Chokaku 長郭 - same as Saikaku but slightly rectangular hole Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Okaku 横郭 same as Hirokaku but slightly rectangular hole	Kagoshima
Yamaguchihan-sen 山口藩銭	Nagato 長門 Nagao Tsu 長尾通 long tailed Tsu	Yamaguchi
Aizuhan-sen 会津藩銭	Iwashiro Hirokaku 広郭- wide rims Saikaku 細郭 - thin rims	Fukushima
Akitahan-sen 秋田藩銭	Dewa 出羽 Chokaku 長郭 - same as Saikaku but slightly rectangular hole Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Saikaku 細郭 - thin rims	Akita
Nambuhan-sen 南部藩銭	Mutsu 陸奥 Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Saikaku 細郭 - thin rims	Iwate
Fukuokahan-sen (Kurume-sen) 福岡藩銭 久留米銭	Chikuzen 筑前 Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims	Fukuoka	Bunkyu 3 (1863)
Fukuokahan-sen 福岡藩銭	Chikuzen 筑前 Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Chukaku 中郭 - same as Hirokaku but slightly bigger hole
Bakufu-sen 幕府銭 (government)	Honza 本座 Osaka / Settsu Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Chukaku中郭 - same as Hirokaku but slightly bigger hole	Osaka	Keio 1 (1865)
Mitohan-sen 水戸藩銭	Hitachi 日立	Ibaraki	Keio 4 (1868) April
Sado-sen 佐渡銭 cast by the Daimyo Maeda in order of the Bakufu 幕府	Sado light copper only cast with moulds for Osaka-sen Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims	Niigata	Meiji 2 (1869) February - June
Tatsugoro Nambu-sen 辰五郎南部銭 privately cast iron varieties by Tatsugoro	Mutsu 陸奥	Iwate	Meiji 2 (1869)
Hiroshima-sen 広島藩銭 not confirmed	Aki 安芸 Hirokaku 広郭 - wide rims Only at one side, two counterstamps * punched left and right on the corners of the edges * not recognizable	Hiroshima	?
Okahan-sen 岡藩銭 found at the site of the Oka-Han (Bungo / Oita) Strokes of Tsu 通 are weaker than the other characters Strokes of Tsuho 通寶 are weaker than the other characters Time and place of casting not known Counterstamps of different mints
not attributed mints 不明
Varieties of Tenpo Tsuho with additional engraving 1) Obverse: 天保銭は人の鏡 Tenpo-sen wa hito no kagami (Tenpo coin is the mirror of mankind) . 2) Obverse: 天保銭は吾が鏡 Tenpo-sen wa wa ga kagami (Tenpo coin is the mirror of myself). 3) Obverse: 天保銭は海運橋 Tenpo-sen wa kaiunkyo (Tenpo coin is the connection for shipment; meaning ?) same reverse on 1, 2, 3): 玉塚栄次郎 Tamazuka Eijiro 4) Obverse and reverse the same: Yama (not a Kanji but outline of a mountain) and Ishi 石 (meaning of engraving not known). Those varieties were engraved by Tamazuka Eijiro 玉塚栄次郎 (real birth name unknown) he was born Manen 1 (1860) at Nihonbashi 日本橋 / Edo 江戸 and was adopted two years later by Tamazuka Eizo. After he was grown up he learned the business of a stock-jobber and was very successful. Meiji 24 (1891) he opened his own company. He was very found of Tenpo Tsuho and since Taisho 5 (1916) he bought all he could get. He was known by his nickname Tenpo-sen Shugi 天保銭主義 (Tenpo-sen doctrinaire). That time he also edited a book on Tenpo Tsuho. It's not known when he started to engrave the coins, four differend types are known. He used mostly Honza-sen of Asakusabashi, Osaka and Aikawa but also Satsuma-, Mito-, Aizu-sen and unknown mints. Tamazuka Eijiro died Taisho 9 (1920).