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Hakodate ceramic gift certificates, "Hakodate ceramic stamps," once used at the Hakodate Marui Imai kimono store.

2024.03.04

When we think of "gift certificates," we generally think of paper ones the same size as bills, but did you know that there used to be ceramic ones in the shape of plates? When Mr. Warabi, a collector of old coins, posted his collection on SNS, which used to circulate in Hokkaido in a similar role to gift certificates, he received nearly 5,000 likes and became a topic of conversation.

Hakodate ceramic stamps
Although they look like this, they are a type of gift certificate.
It was once issued in Hokkaido by a kimono shop called Marui Imai, and the face value is written on a tool called a red plate.

Quote from @magaxA10's post

In the photo, the letters are written in red, blue, green and black on what looks like an oval plate. If you look closely, you can also read the word "Hakodate" and the word "I" in the circle, as well as "Kofuku Yomono Stamp" and "Exchange Ticket".

Hakodate Marui Imai Kimono Store" opened over 130 years ago

The "Marui Imai" department store "Marui Imai" is familiar to people in Hokkaido, having opened its first store in Sapporo in May 1874. It continues to operate today as the Marui Imai Hakodate store while changing locations. This valuable item is believed to have been used in the Marui Imai kimono store in Hakodate at that time.

The building from the time of its opening is still in use as the Hakodate City Community Exchange and Community Development Center.

We asked Mr. Warabi, who was in possession of a very valuable item, for more details.

His favorite point was its "strange appearance."

Where did you get this one?

I obtained it through an auction on the Internet. It is a somewhat rare item, but it has long been known in the old coin collecting community as an oddity, and it still appears in auctions from time to time.

Incidentally, the words "Nihon Sesshu K.K." are engraved on the reverse side, which is the trademark of the company that produced this red plate. It seems that Marui Imai appropriated the red plates made by Nihon Setsuzake and made them into gift certificates.

If you look at the back, you can see the words "Nihon Setsuzake K.K." engraved.

This is a very rare "ceramic postage stamp," but is there anything you like about it, Mr. Warabi?

The point that attracts me is its strange appearance. It is very interesting that there is an actual example of such a strange looking stamp, which is hard to describe as a coin, when a gift certificate is usually made of paper. I think it is probably unique in the history of the world.

Do you have any other Hokkaido-related items in your possession?

Yes, I do. I would like to introduce some items from my collection related to Hokkaido. This is an iron coin called "Hakodate Tsuho," which was authorized for circulation only in Matsumae, Ezo, at the end of the Edo period.

Hakodate Treasure

Hakodate was opened as a result of the Treaty of Friendship between Japan and the U.S., and became a key port in the north. Almost all of the existing pieces are rusted red because they are made of iron.

こちらも珍しい「コイン型商品券」<h3 class="ptn_4"> Coin-type gift certificate" used in Hokkaido</h3> <div class="box_stroke"> These are coin-shaped gift certificates issued in various parts of Hokkaido. Even today, there are several confirmed examples of non-paper gift certificates issued in Hokkaido. These are just a few examples. </div><img id="32858" src="https://domingo.ne.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/fb6cbcd2a7f73ec1e5dc4ef0ab795c1d.jpg" alt="狸大明神" >

Hakodate ceramic gift certificates, "Hakodate ceramic stamps," once used at the Hakodate Marui Imai kimono store.

Hakodate Marui Imai Kimono Store" opened over 130 years ago

His favorite point was its "strange appearance."

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