Picture Coins Kana Nenbutsu ☆ Slightly Large / Quasi-Dai Nenbutsu / Fine Quality / Rare / Namu Amida Butsu / Lucky Coin / Amulet Coin / Rokudo Coin / Enshosen / 1-125 ◎ Name: Kana Nenbutsu (Slightly Large) ◎ Issuing Country: Japan ◎ Issuing Year: Edo Period - ◎ Size: Diameter 31.3mm, Thickness 1.4mm ◎ Weight: 7.22g ◎ Purity: Copper ◎ Number Issued: Unknown (Small number) ◎ Condition: Very Good Condition / Some age-related wear and damage (see photos) (Reference Material) "Kana Nenbutsu" picture coins refer to Nenbutsu coins, a type of picture coin, that express Namu Amida Butsu in kana characters (hiragana). They were primarily made as religious amulets and good luck charms, and are characterized by the fact that they do not have the power to be used as currency. ☆ Basics of Picture Coins and Nenbutsu Coins Picture coins are "crafts, toys, and amulets in the shape of coins" that were often made after the Edo period and are not used as actual currency. The designs include the Seven Lucky Gods, animals, Mount Fuji, and Buddhist phrases (Nenbutsu, Daimoku, etc.), and among these, those with the characters "Namu Amida Butsu" engraved are called Nenbutsu coins. ☆ Contents and Design of Kana Nenbutsu Coins Many Nenbutsu coins express "Namu Amida Butsu" in kanji, Bonji, or Tensho script, but the type cast in kana script (e.g., "namu amidabutsu") is called "Kana Nenbutsu." Many are in the form of Kanei Tsuho coins, with the coin inscription written around the outer frame or arranged radially from the center, making it difficult to read, but the design emphasizes a religious atmosphere. ☆ Uses and Religious Meaning It is believed that believers of the Jodo sect and Jodo Shinshu sect of Amida Buddhism possessed them as amulets and symbols of Nenbutsu. From around the 17th century, there were examples of them being used as "Rokudo coins" to be placed in coffins, and it was customary to give them to the deceased as a substitute for the six mon coins, the fare for crossing the Sanzu River. ☆ Period and Production Background Picture coins as a whole are thought to have become full-fledged after the late 17th century, when the shogunate restricted the circulation of coins other than Kanei Tsuho, and the surplus of private casting turned to coin-shaped products for religious and toy purposes. Nenbutsu coins and Kana Nenbutsu were also cast in this flow through the networks of temples and foundries, and many were in the nature of souvenirs and distributed items from temples. Type...Others Main Material...Copper