Tempo Koban Público 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 encouragement of trade with the Portuguese. This is quite likely, but: I cannot find any definite confirmation of it."
In 1837 there was issued the Tempo Koban valued at 5 Ryos, hut 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 receved 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)