World Gold Coins

The introduction of Japanese Obans and Kobans during the Edo period had a profound impact on the country's economic and cultural history. These traditional gold currencies were visually stunning, with intricate designs and patterns. As a result, their composition made them both aesthetically pleasing and difficult to counterfeit.

Obans were the first of the two introduced in the second half of the 16th century. These were substantial rectangular-shaped currencies that were worth 10 Ryō, a weight unit used to measure gold and silver. The Oban was beautifully designed, often featuring images of samurai warriors or geishas. In fact, these designs were not just for decoration, but also served to prevent counterfeiting.

Koban was introduced

As Japan's economy grew, there was a need for smaller denominations of currency.

In short, the "First Canadian Gold Coins" were struck around over a hundred years ago. The Dominion Government had 8,000 five-dollar and 8,000 ten-dollar gold coins struck in 1912. Gold coins valued at $600,000 had been distributed to Assistant-Receivers General across Canada by the conclusion of that summer. The gold coins were still being produced in 1914.

From the raw ingredients to the finished product, these first Canadian Gold Coins were created by the Mint in Canada. These were made almost completely of Canadian gold in 1912, the majority of it coming from the Klondike region.

What about the Gold Maple Leaf?

Interestingly, the Canadian Maple Leaf was struck in 1979 a was not the first Canadian gold coin. To clarify, Canada's first gold coins were