Fuhonsen

Fuhonsen (富本銭) aka Futōsen (富夲銭) is an early form of Japanese currency that was created around 683 (Tenmu 12) during the Asuka period.

Fuhonsen feature a pattern design called "Seven Stars" with the word "Fuyu" written vertically and seven dots arranged in a tortoiseshell shape horizontally.

[5] This variant has the character written as "tō" or "tou" (夲) which has led some scholars to call these coins "Futōsen" (富夲).

[3] While the first mention of Fuhonsen occurs in the "Wakan Kokonbosen Illustrated Book" (published in 1694 or Genroku 7), a century would pass before the coins were catalogued.

Kuchiki Masatsuna's collection which included Fuhonsen were sold after his death to the Germans in exchange for 50 Gewehrs at the end of the Edo period.

After Masatsuna's collection was sold, the Fuhonsen was not seen again until the Meiji period when excavated examples were said to have been found in the Shimoina District (Takamori, Nagano) at the Akiba Tower Mound (武陵地古墳群).

[6] While these were rumored to exist, more Fuhonsen coins were found in 1997 during an excavation of the Asukaike Kobo Ruins (飛鳥池工房遺跡) in Asuka, Nara.

The alleged Meiji period find was later re-investigated and confirmed in 1999 by the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.

[10] The most recent reported find occurred in 2012, when a privately owned coin was submitted for appraisal during an episode of TV Tokyo's "Kaiun!