Coban 上市 Deposited
A Japanese oval gold coin of a similar design to the Oban (q.v.), and of a value of one Ryo, or one tenth of the larger coin. It was introduced in the latter part of the sixteenth century, and Munro (p. 190) states that " it has been surmised that they were intended for the encourage- ment of trade with the Portuguese. This is quite likely, but I cannot find any defin- ite confirmation of it. "
In 1837 there was issued the Tempo Koban valued at 5 Ryos, but in a few years it was discontinued.
The Shin Koban, meaning " New Ko- ban," was a coin of smaller size, though of the same value, issued in 1860.
The word is variously written as the following citations indicate: In Cocks Diary , Sept. 17, 1616, he says, " I re- ceved two bars Coban gould with ten ichibos, of 4 to a Coban; " and A. Hamil- ton, in his New Account of the East In- dies , 1727 (ii. 86), states that " My Friend . . . complimented the Doctor with five Japon Cupangs, or fifty Dutch Dollars."
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)