Japan, 1769-1788 AD., Shogunate, Meiwa era and later, Edo Fukagawa mint, 4 Mon, Hartill 4.253.

Japan, Shogunate, Meiwa era (1764-1771) and later, Edo Fukagawa mint, 1769-1788 AD.,
4 Mon (28-28,5 mm / 5,52 g), cast brass, square center hole, axes medal alignment ↑↑ (ca. 0°),
Obv.: 寛 - 永 - 通 - 寶, (KAN - EI - TSU - HO , "Kanei tsuho" - Reign of Kanei) top - down - right - left, four kanji around square center hole.
Rev.: eleven waves, around square center hole.
Hartill 4.253 ; Jones (1984) 205 ; Jones (2007) 295 ; KM C 4.2 var .

This variety is known as "fuei" (looking down ei) because the bottom "ei" character is large and crouching and the second stroke of the ei character is slightly slanted down. Another way to easily identify this type is the the nub at the top roof of the left "ho" character protrudes a little down through the lid of that character. This is the most common type of Meiwa era coin.

Year / Mint Mark / Mintage
ND (1768-1769) Hartill 4.251 (21 waves; short leg 寛) ; KM C 4.1
ND (1768-1769) Hartill 4.250 (21 waves; long leg 寛) ; KM C 4.1
ND (1769-1788) Hartill 4.253 (11 waves; drooping æ°¸) ; KM C 4.2
ND (1769-1788) Hartill 4.252 (11 waves) ; KM C 4.2
ND (1821-1825) Hartill 4.254 (reddish alloy; 11 waves)
ND (1821-1825) Hartill 4.255 (reddish alloy; 11 waves; drooping æ°¸)
ND (1857-1859) Hartill 4.256 (dark alloy)

The Japanese Shogunate (military leadership) cast these coins in the 4 mon denomination with both 11 and 21 waves on the reverse. The Tokugawa government first commissioned a Kanei Tsuho coin valued at 4 mon in 1768. The first version was made at the Fukagawa mint in Edo and had a design of 21 waves on the reverse. In 1769 the design changed to have only 11 waves and all subsequent versions used the 11 wave design. It was not much larger than a 1 mon coin so it was cost effective to produce.