Help!

---

As I said on the home page, this site is a work in progress. I am still researching, and sometimes the best reference is another person instead of a book on a shelf. In the hopes that someone out there has an answer or two, here are a few of the questions that continue to baffle me. If you have any insights, just go to the Contact Me tab up top and send me a message.

This is a quote from a 1700s Japanese document, updated to more modern characters and reprinted in a newer book. I have a rough understanding, but a better translation would be helpful. I believe it's discussing repaired Keicho ichibu/koban.

新直し小判裏ニ六角之内ニ本ノ字之極印御座候。是を諸人見知り，右の新直シ小判より外諸方取りやり不仕候。

I've scoured my sources for information about the Gaku ichibu, and while I've learned a lot and answered most of my questions, I haven't found anything at all to suggest a mintage number. Is there any record?

Keicho ichibu were supposedly stuck in Edo, Kyoto, Suruga, and Sado*. This is the only piece minted at Suruga or Kyoto**, but I haven't found any information about the origin or end of those mints.

* Not mentioned in English sources.

** English sources state the Gaku ichibu were struck in Kyoto. This is incorrect; see Gaku Ichibu (Video) in Research Notes for an explanation.

According to one Japanese book from 1999 and one Japanese dealer, we don't know what the significance of the number of marks is. I'm not yet convinced and am currently tracking down new sources in hopes they'll shed some light on things.