| 幕末の小判金貨濫出を防ぐ！ 小栗忠順の通貨交渉 ―小栗忠順がフィラデルフィア造幣局で「ノー」と言って行なった 通貨の分析実験はどのようなものだったのか― Preventing the Overflow of Koban Gold Coins at the End of the Edo Period! Tadamasa Oguri's Currency Negotiations What kind of currency analysis experiment did Tadamasa Oguri conduct when he said "no" at the Philadelphia Mint? |
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 合衆国造幣局・フィラデルフィア▲ ：宮永孝氏提供 United States Mint, Philadelphia ▲ Courtesy of Mr. Takashi Miyanaga |
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| ◆造幣局訪問 ・１８６０年６月１３日（水）（萬延元年四月二十四日） 朝９時過ぎ、遣米使節の三使（正使・副使・目付）一行はフィラデルフィアの造幣局を訪れた。迎えたスノーデン造幣局長に目付の小栗忠順は念願の小判金貨とドル金貨の分析実験を申し入れた。午後２時過ぎ、ホテルに戻っていた三使のもとに造幣局役人が来訪し、重ねて通貨分析の交渉が行なわれ、三使一行の翌日の再訪問を確認して帰って行った。 ・６月１４日（木）（四月 二十五日） 朝８時、三使は再び造幣局へ出向くと日米金貨の分析実験に立ち会った。 ◆ Visit to the Mint Wednesday, June 13, 1860 (April 24 of Man'en 1): At a little after 9:00 a.m., the three envoys (senior envoy, vice envoy, and censor) and some followers of the mission visited the Mint in Philadelphia. When James Ross Snowden, the Director General of the Mint greeted them, Tadamasa Oguri, the censor, offered to conduct an experiment to analyze the Koban gold coins and dollar gold goins. A little after 2:00 p.m., when the three envoys were returning to their hotel, a Mint official came to see them and negotiated for more currency analysis, confirming that the envoys would return to the Mint the next day. Thursday, June 14: At 8:00 a.m., the three envoys went to the Mint again and witnessed the analysis of Japanese and U.S. gold coins. ◆日米金貨の分析実験 「ノー」と言った小栗忠順 いよいよ両国通貨の小判とドル金貨の一部が削り取られてハカリにかけられた。その時、小栗忠順から異議が出された。「これくらいの小片で分析実験したのでは、だめだ。小判一枚、ドル金貨一個をそれぞれ丸ごと分析すべきだ」というのです。小栗忠順の主張は、たんに通貨の分析方法を知ることにあるのではない。小判金貨とドル金貨をそれぞれ丸ごと溶かして分析比較してほしい、というものでした。 アメリカ側はあわてました。日本人の目的が日米貨幣の相対的品位を確かめようとするものだったからです。日本人は通貨の分析方法を知りたいのだろう、それほど高度な分析能力がないのだろう、というアメリカ側の偏見が前提にあったのでしょう。しかもドル金貨には小判金貨よりも銀はわずかしか含まれていないことを承知していたからです。 「それには時間がかかります」といっても、「承知している、最後まで立ち会うから」というフェアな分析比較を要求する小栗の粘り強い交渉で、アメリカ側は全量分析に同意し、双方の金貨を丸ごと溶解して成分を分析することになりました。 ◆ An Experiment in Analyzing Japanese and U.S. Gold Coins: Tadamasa Oguri Said, "No." Some of the Koban and dollar gold coins of the two countries' currencies were scraped off and put on scales. At that time, Tadamasa Oguri raised an objection. He said, "It is not enough to conduct an analysis experiment with such small pieces. We should analyze a whole Koban or a dollar coin." Tadamasa Oguri's argument was "not simply to know how to analyze currencies, but to melt down the entirety of Koban gold coins and dollar gold coins, respectively, for analysis and comparison." The U.S. side panicked because the Japanese were trying to ascertain the relative quality of the Japanese and U.S. currencies. The U.S. prejudice was probably based on the assumption that the Japanese would want to know how to analyze currency and that they did not have such advanced analytical skills. In addition, they knew that dollar gold coins contained less silver than Koban gold coins. The U.S. side said, "That will take time," but Oguri's persistent negotiations demanded a fair comparison of analysis, saying, "We understand, and we will be there until the end." As a result, the U.S. side agreed to analyze the entire amount and it was decided to dissolve the whole of the gold coins from both sides and analyze the components. |
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| ◆幕末の小判（金貨）濫出 ―何が問題だったのか― この交渉の前提に幕末の小判（金貨）の海外濫出問題があります。 日米和親条約により下田に駐在するようになった初代アメリカ領事ハリスは、日米の通貨交渉を本格的に開始し、幕府との間で「同種同量交換」が国際的な通例として強引に主張し、認めさせます。 メキシコドル（銀貨）１個を持参したら、その重量に匹敵する日本の一分銀貨３個と交換するというもので、一見ごく当たり前のレートに見えます。（これを拒否した日本側の事情は後述します） ともかく「これが世界の交換基準だ、拒否するのはおかしい」というハリスに強引に押し切られ、単純な重量計算で １メキシコドル（銀貨・約２４㌘） ⇒⇒ 一分（銀貨・約８．５㌘）× ３個 と交換 を日本側の役人は認めてしまいました。油絵の価値を使っている絵の具の量で測るようなやり方を認めた、というところでしょうか。 その結果交換した一分銀から小判金貨が買いあさられ、日本から海外へ小判金貨が濫出する事態が起き、日本経済にたいへんな混乱が生じていました。 貨幣博物館資料によると ・横浜港からの流出額は約３０万両 、プラスその他 があって約４０～５０万両くらいが濫出していました。 ◆ The Overflow of Koban Gold Coins to foreign countries at the End of the Edo Period - What was the problem? The premise of this negotiation is the problem of the overflow of Koban gold coins overseas at the end of the Edo period. As a result of the Japan–US Treaty of Peace and Amity, Townsend Harris, the first American consul stationed in Shimoda, began full-scale negotiations on currency between Japan and the United States, forcing the shogunate to accept the "exchange of the same kind and quantity" as an international standard. If one Mexican dollar (silver coin) is brought to Japan, it will be exchanged for three Japanese Ichibugin silver coins equivalent to its weight. At first glance, this seems to be a very normal rate. (The circumstances of the Japanese refusal to accept this offer will be explained later.) Harris said, "This is the world's standard for exchange, and it's not right to reject it," and successfully pushed the Japanese officials to accept the following exchange ratio based on a simple weight calculation. 1 Mexican dollar (silver coin, approx. 24 grams) ⇒⇒ 1 Ichibugin (silver coin, approx. 8.5 grams) x 3 As a result, Koban gold coins were bought up with the exchanged Ichibugin silver coins, causing an overflow of Koban gold coins from Japan to overseas, which in turn caused a great deal of confusion in the Japanese economy. According to the data of the Bank of Japan Currency Museum, the outflow from the port of Yokohama was about 300,000 ryos,* plus others, and the outflow from Japan in total was about 400,000 to 500,000 ryos. (note: "Ryo" was the unit of currency in the Edo Period and the value of one ryo varied from today's several thousand yens to more than 100,000 yen depending on the time.)
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| どういうことが起きたのかを以下の図で説明します。（作図：村上泰賢） The following diagram illustrates what happened.
労せずしてお金の交換だけで現金が３倍になる、外国人にとっておいしいマネーゲームの出来る国日本、という状態に陥っていた。当時この状況を幕府関係者は「濫出」と表現していた。 この原因について 一分銀貨４個で一両小判（金貨）と交換できるところに問題がありとして、「日本では銀の価値を高く（＝金を低く）見ていたから」とする説明がありますが、そうではありません。 これよりさらにさかのぼること約１６５年、元禄年間に通貨の概念が改定されました。 The overflow of Koban gold coins to foreign countries You can triple your cash just by exchanging your money without any effort. Japan had fallen into a situation where foreigners could play a tasty money game. At the time, this situation was described by shogunate officials as "ranshutu (taking out of the country immodarately)." One explanation for this was that there was a problem in that four Ichibugin silver coins could be exchanged for 1 Ichiryo Koban gold coin, and that this was because the value of silver was considered high in Japan (i.e. gold was considered low). In reality, however, this was not the case. The concept of currency was revised in the Genroku era, about 165 years earlier. |
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| 元禄の通貨改定 元禄八年（１６９５）勘定吟味役の荻原重秀は 「貨幣は国家が造るものだから、瓦礫で造っても政府の印が押してあれば貨幣である」 と主張して、貨幣の改鋳を行いました。 銀貨は金貨の代用で補助通貨として使用していましたから、 政府の印さえ押してあれば何も銀貨でなくても瓦礫でも紙切れでもいい という理論です。 「瓦礫でもいい」とは一見乱暴なようにも聞こえますが、 現在でも「紙切れに5,000円や10,000円と印刷して使っている」ように 補助通貨の概念を世界に先駆けていち早く取り入れた画期的な考えとも言えます。 安定した平和な時代を続けた政府（幕府）の政治が背景にあって言える理論です。 The overflow of Koban gold coins to foreign countries You can triple your cash just by exchanging your money without any effort. Japan had fallen into a situation where foreigners could play a tasty money game. At the time, this situation was described by shogunate officials as "ranshutu (taking out of the country immodarately)." One explanation for this was that there was a problem in that four Ichibugin silver coins could be exchanged for 1 Ichiryo Koban gold coin, and that this was because the value of silver was considered high in Japan (i.e. gold was considered low). In reality, however, this was not the case. The concept of currency was revised in the Genroku era, about 165 years earlier.
For more information, see "The Life of Shigehide Ogiwara, Accounting Magistrate" by Atsushi Murai, Shueisha Shinsho. |
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| 国内だけなら通用するこの〈先進的な〉考えに、そういった概念を持たない外国との通貨交換がからんでおかしくなりました。 問題はこの理論を１６５年後の幕府役人が明確に理解していなかったところにあります。 荻原が明確に理論づけて記しておかなかったためという人もいます。 もう一つ言えば、太平の世が続いて、役人はその役目に就くことが肝心で詳しい内容が分からなくても仕事をしてきましたから、１６５年前の改定理論など気にかけずに前例にならえば仕事ができた、「当たり前の話だった」とも言えます。 ハリスは国際通貨として使っているメキシコドル銀貨を、これまでの各国と同じに「同種同量で交換すればいい」と単純に考えていました。日本の役人が「この一分銀貨は３倍の価値を持たせている」というのを理解できません。それはモノの価値を３倍に吹っかける日本人のずるい主張だ、と誤解しました。 日本の役人もあまり強硬にハリスに国際的な通例だと主張されると、同種同量でもいいように思えてきました。 とうとう同種同量の交換比率に同意した結果、マネーゲームに狂喜する外国人が両替を求めて殺到する事態になり、小判金貨がどんどん外国へ濫出しました。 This "advanced" idea, which worked only domestically, went awry when it came to currency exchange with foreign countries that did not have such a concept. The problem lies in the fact that this theory was not clearly understood by the shogunate officials 165 years later. Some say it was because Ogiwara did not clearly theorize and write it down. Another reason is that, in a time of peace and tranquility, it was important for officials to get their jobs done even if they did not understand the details. It was a matter of course. Townsend Harris, the U.S. Consul General to Japan at the time, simply thought that the Mexican dollar, which was used as an international currency, should be exchanged in the same kind and quantity as in other countries. He could not understand how Japanese officials could say, "These Ichibugin silver coins are made to be worth three times as much." He misunderstood that it was a cunning claim by the Japanese to triple the value of things. When Harris insisted that this was the international norm, Japanese officials began to think that the same kind and quantity was acceptable. As a result of agreeing to the exchange ratio of the same type and quantity, foreigners, who were crazy about money games, rushed to Japan to exchange their money, and Koban gold coins were flooding into foreign countries. 〈例〉 咸臨丸に同乗して嵐の中を乗り切ってくれたブルック大尉は、咸臨丸に乗る前に横浜に滞在していて、同僚が通貨の交換に走る姿を軍人としてふさわしくない、と批判しています。（ブルック「横浜日記」遣米使節史料集成） また、かつてニューヨーク市立大学の創立に貢献したほどの人物ハリスが、日本に初代領事として着任後この通貨交換により国から受けた給料の何倍もの蓄えをアメリカに送金することができたため、のちに日本からアメリカに帰国後は「日本で不当な利得を得た」と非難され、表立った場所へは出入りできないまま生涯を終えています。（佐藤雅美『覚悟の人ー小栗上野介ー』岩波書店） 逆にアメリカへ行った遣米使節一行は日本の３倍の値段で品物を買わされる羽目に陥っていました。 小栗忠順は遣米使節に派遣されるに際し、この事態を収拾するための方策を探ることを井伊大老に命ぜられていました。それは小栗忠順の従者の日記にも、ハワイに寄港した時からドルについての関心を示す記事が見られます。小栗忠順もサンフランシスコやワシントンでしきりに通貨の話を出し、アメリカ側からフィラデルフィアへ行ったら造幣局で交渉してくれ、と示唆されていました。 ＊詳しくは佐藤雅美『大君の通貨』講談社・同『覚悟の人―小栗忠順伝ー』岩波書店を参照 Regarding the currency exchange, refer to the following: Captain John Mercer Brooke got on board the Kanrin Maru to help Japanese navigate through the rough seas of the Pacific to the U.S., but before the voyage, he stayed in Yokohama and criticized his colleagues for running to exchange currency , saying it was unbecoming of a soldier. (“Yokohama Diary” by John Mercer Brooke from the Historical Records of the Delegation to the U.S. in 1860) Harris, who was instrumental in the founding of the City University of New York, was able to transfer many times his salary to the U.S. through this currency exchange after arriving in Japan as the first consul. After returning to the U.S. from Japan, he was accused of "making unfair profits in Japan" and was not allowed to enter or leave any public places for the rest of his life. (“The Man with Determination – Kozukenosuke Oguri” by Masami Sato, Iwanami Shoten) On the contrary, the envoys to the United States were forced to buy goods at three times the price in Japan. Before Tadamasa Oguri was dispatched to the United States, he was ordered by the Grand Elder Naosuke Ii to find a way to resolve this situation. In the diary of Oguri's follower, there is an article that shows Oguri's interest in the exchange ratio with the dollar from the time of the port call in Hawaii. In San Francisco and Washington, Oguri also frequently talked about the currency, and the Americans suggested that he negotiate at the Mint when he would go to Philadelphia. * For more information, please refer to "Tycoon's Currency" by Masami Sato, Kodansha, and “The Man with Determination – Kozukenosuke Oguri” by Masami Sato, Iwanami Shoten. |
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| 小栗忠順の通貨交渉 つづき▼ Tadamasa Oguri's Currency Negotiations (the 2nd part) |
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| ◆堂々の交渉に拍手 小栗ら三使は実験が始まるとその場を離れず、昼食も弁当を届けさせて最後まで根気よく立ち会いました。その様子をニューヨークタイムズは 「日本の硬貨の分析に費やした長くて飽き飽きする作業への忍耐力には、デュポン大佐や海軍委員会のほかのメンバーすら驚かされた。分析試験の間、遣米使節の人たちは昼食にホテルに戻ることさえ断って、その場でご飯と魚で昼食を済ませた。彼らの一貫した忍耐強さは、鋭さ、知性、集中力と相まって、現場にいた人々に感銘を与えた」 （ニューヨークタイムズ６月１６日） と伝えました。 実験が終わって、一通りの数値が示された時、使節一行の堂々と主張した高い知性と理解度に敬意を表し、期せずしてアメリカ側から拍手がわきあがりました。 ◆ A round of applause for the envoys' dignified negotiations The three envoys, including Oguri, did not leave the site once the experiment started, and were patiently present until the end, having their lunch delivered to them. The New York Times reported on the situation as follows: "Colonel Dupont and other members of the Naval Board were amazed at the envoys' patience in the long and tedious work of analyzing the Japanese coins. During the analysis tests, the envoys even refused to return to their hotel for lunch, and instead ate rice and fish for lunch on the spot. Their consistent perseverance, combined with their sharpness, intelligence and concentration, impressed those who were present." (New York Times, June 16, 1860) When the experiment was over and a set of figures were presented, the American side unexpectedly applauded in respect for the high level of intelligence and understanding that the envoys and their delegation had so proudly displayed. ◆金貨の価値はほぼ同等 分析の結果を一口に言えば、ドル金貨はやや銀が少ない、しかしそれは小判の方が何倍も価値が高いというほどではなくて、１割未満の差で小判金貨の品位が高い、というものでした。 この結果を踏まえると次の主張ができます。 ドル金貨は小判金貨より少し品位が低いがほぼ同等である。それなのに、いまアメリカ人は日本に来てメキシコドル銀貨⇒一分銀貨３個 の銀貨交換を通して３分の一の価格でその小判金貨を手に入れることができているのは、不公平ではないか。 しかし残念ながら、遣米使節はこれ以上の交渉権限を幕府から与えられていないということで、通貨に関する交渉はここまででした。幕府からその交渉権限を与えられてきていないこと、またアメリカ側も自国の交易に不利となる通貨交渉には安易に応じなかったからと言われています。 ◆ Gold coins are almost equal in value The results of the analysis, in a nutshell, were that the dollar gold coins contained slightly less silver, but not so much that they were worth many times more than the Koban gold coins, and that the small gold coins were of higher grade by less than 10%. In light of this result, the following argument can be made. The dollar coin is slightly lower in grade than the Koban coin, but about the same. Isn't it unfair, then, that Americans can now come to Japan and obtain the Koban gold coins at one-third the price through the exchange of Mexican dollars for three Ichibugin silver coins? Unfortunately, the envoys were not authorized by the shogunate to negotiate any further, so the negotiations on currency ended here. It is said that this was because the envoys had not been given the authority to negotiate by the Shogunate, and also because the Americans did not easily agree to currency negotiations that would be disadvantageous to their own trade. すべてが終わるとアメリカ側が用意してくれた簡単なパーティーがあり、小栗が挨拶しました。 「目付（小栗忠順）は、正しい貨幣交換のシステムが日本とアメリカの間で確立されることを確信すると述べた」 （NYタイムズ１８６０年６月１６日） 小栗忠順の無念が表れたことばです。 「幕末の旧幕臣がしばしば私に語るところでは、貨幣に関し、または経済に関する知識を勘定奉行で持っている人は稀で、ただその役に就いて部下が差し出す書類に判を押すだけに過ぎない。勘定奉行でこれらの知識を持っていたのは小栗忠順だけだった・・・」（勢多東陽『小栗上野介』東京博文館・明治34年 意訳） 小栗はこの時まだ勘定奉行にはなっていませんが、後世にこう評されている小栗忠順にとって、この時も不完全燃焼の思いだったでしょう。反対に、アメリカ側はたぶん、この鋭い日本人から次の段階の交渉を持ち出されなかったことで、ホッとしたことでしょう。 After everything was over, there was a simple party prepared by the Americans, and Oguri gave a speech. "The censor (Tadamasa Oguri) stated that he trusted a system of just exchange of currency would be established between Japan and the United States." (New York Times, June 16, 1860) These words express the regret of Tadamasa Oguri. "Former shogunate officials of the late Edo period often told me that it was rare for an accounting magistrate to have any knowledge of money or economics, and that they merely served in that capacity and stamped the papers which his subordinates presented to him. The only accounting magistrate who had this knowledge was Tadamasa Oguri..." (“Kozukenosuke Oguri” by Toyo Seta, Tokyo Hakubunkan, idiomatic translation) Although Oguri had not yet become an accounting magistrate at the time, he must have felt incomplete, as he was described as such by later generations. On the contrary, the American side was probably relieved that this astute Japanese did not bring up the next stage of negotiations. 結論 ―幕府は小判金貨を小さくして切り抜けた― 結論を言えば、幕府は遣米使節一行が出発して間もなく（万延元年四月十日＝西暦1860年5月30日 通用で）、 一枚当たりの品位は変わらないが大きさと重量を３分の一にした小型の「万延小判」と「万延一分金」を発行して、金の濫出を食い止め ています。外国との銀貨交換の条約条項「（銀貨の）同種は同量で交換」は守らなくてはならないから、金貨の方を操作することで対応したということになります。 Conclusion - The Shogunate made do with smaller gold coins To sum up, the Shogunate began to issue small-sized "Man'en Koban gold coins" and "Man'en Ichibunkin gold coins" to curb the overflow of gold on May 30, 1860 or April 10 in the first year of the Man'en Era, shortly after the delegation departed for the U.S. The "Man'en Koban" was a small coin that was one-third the size and weight of its predecessor, while maintaining the same grade per piece. In other words, the shogunate responded by manipulating gold coins, since it had to abide by the terms of the treaty for the exchange of silver coins with foreign countries: "The same kind of silver coins shall be exchanged in the same quantity."  天保小判 ⇒⇒ 万延小判（大きさを１/３にした）Tempo Koban Man'en Koban（one-third the size of Tempo Koban） いま、東京駅近くの日本銀行の真向かいにある「貨幣博物館」で万延小判を見ることができます。天保小判と比べてなんとも小さく薄く、「これが黄金の国ジパングの小判金貨か」とお粗末な印象は拭えません。でもシカタガナカッタ・・・。 後に「三井の大番頭」と言われた三野村利左衛門は、渡米前の小栗からこの改鋳情報を聞き、事前に天保小判を買い集めて利益をあげています。今なら「インサイダー情報による利潤」と追及されるところですが、小栗が収賄したわけでもなく当時は問題にならなかった。 You can see a Man'en Koban at the Bank of Japan Currency Museum located directly across from the Bank of Japan near Tokyo Station. The Man'en Koban was much smaller and thinner than the Tempo koban, and it is hard to shake the impression that it is such a poorly made gold coin as "Koban gold coin from the golden land of Zipangu." But I suppose there was nothing else they could do at the time. Rizaemon Minomura, who later became known as "Mitsui's big boss," heard about the recasting from Oguri before Oguri went to the U.S. and made a profit by buying up the Tempo Koban in advance. Nowadays, Minomura would have been accused of "profiting from insider information," but Oguri did not bribe him, and it was not a problem at the time.
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| ついでに訂正… 万延小判は小さい（1／3大）だけで、品位（金含有率）は従来の天保小判と同じです。 By the way, I would like to make a correction in a book I have written in the past... The Man'en Koban is smaller (1/3 the size), but the grade (gold content) is the same as the conventional Tempo Koban.
▲ Compiled by Taiken Murakami from materials exhibited at the Currency Museum ＊したがって村上泰賢著「小栗上野介」平凡社新書のP１６４ 「 「重量と形状を３分の一にした小型の」 と訂正します。 村上の調査不足でした。 2012〈平成24〉年12月 Therefore, I would like to correct a part of "Kozukenosuke Oguri" by Taiken Murakami (Heibonsha Shinsho) on page 164 as follows: "A small, low-grade piece with one-third the gold content" ↓ (correction) "Smaller in size, with one-third the weight and shape" This was due to my lack of research. December 2012 (Heisei 24) |
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