Tempo Publique Deposited
An oblong bronze coin of Japan, first made in 1835, and of the value of one hundred Mon or Sen. Its price at first was thirty to a Ryo of former coin, this probably representing one thousand Mon, so that its actual value on this computation would be one to thirty-three and one third. From 1854 to 1859 this coin depreciated to sixty to the Ryo, and in the year 1860 to a hundred. It has now fallen to one hundred and twenty-five to the Yen, which is one to eight Mon. See Munro, Coins of Japan, 1904 (pp. 148-151).
Many Japanese coins and fanciful pieces of oval form are known as Tempo shaped.
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)