Masahiro Date Identification Kan'ei Juichi-Nen Ni

[KarlPeterSmith]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could identify the 3rd character down below 1624 on this 1st Gen Masahiro (See attachment)

 

I have seen this on a couple of swords that seem to be signed by the actually maker of the blade... so I was wondering about the use of this CHARACTER...

 

When the Japanese talk of 'time and hours' they actually write different kanji when compared to writing about say 'Counting people'...

 

...it would have been easier to write 1624+1 ...as seen on most swords (they were probably not getting paid by the character on this one) but here... is there added meaning???

 

Made on this date by one(1) person???

 

Just thought I'd share this thought.

 

Any answers on this are appreciated. [i may be way off the mark but this is what I'm seeing.]

 

 

[Ray Singer]

拾 = 10. This reads 11th year. Same as 十一. No relationship to the number of people who made the sword.

[KarlPeterSmith]

Thank you for your time. Is there a source I can reference that version of the number 10 you mention? 

 

I have 'The Arts of the Japanese Sword' - B.W.Robinson but would have thought p.89 on Numerals/Stems/Signs would include it.

[Ray Singer]

There are a number of sources both printed books and online references which allow for a search via radical. An example below.

 

http://www.edrdg.org/cgi-bin/wwwjdic/wwwjdic?1MMJ%E6%8B%BE

[KarlPeterSmith]

Thanks again.

 

I've put this together... showing the 1930's 10 YEN note (which shows both the Japanese character for 10 and the Chinese original character for 10 on the same note.

 

With two sword examples that use different numbers of kanji strokes.

 

 

[Peter Bleed]

Trusty old John Yumoto has all this very well covered as well. It is still worth owning.

Peter