Merchant Coins

The Merchant Coins was a gift to the Yasuki family in 353 after Asahina's marriage and joining the Crane Clan. The gift was a crimson pouch containing twentyfour golden coins. Each coin was the size of a standard koku, although they had a slight gleam and weighed slightly more. On the back of the coins was the standard koku symbol, but on the front were depictions of one the twelve creatures representing the twelve hours in the Rokugani day. In the original set there were two of each creature (hare, dragon, serpent, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, boar, rat, ox and tiger). The bearer of any of these coins would become extremely lucky with economic negotiations or trade during the creature's respective hours of the day. Many of the coins were supposedly destroyed during the Daidoji-Yasuki Economic Wars, but the Doji family is still in possession of one full set of twelve. It was believed by the Yasuki that the twelve were stolen by the son of the Daidoji Daimyo, Daidoji Heuji, after the defecion of the Yasuki to the Crab Clan at the end of the fourth century. The whereabout of second set of twelve is unknown, although it was rumored that Yasuki Taka was in possession of two of them. Observant traders noticed he would conduct most of his trading just after lunch and sunset, in the hours of the goat and the dog. (Crane p. 118)

Bearers of the Coins

 * Yasuki Taka
 * Doji family