To the horror of Japanese populace this coin had a value of 100 Mon, while the content of copper was worth about 5 and a half Mon. Mon was a typical common circulating coin in feudal japan based on imported Chinese currency, which was valuable due to its copper content. This coin caused inflation and poverty in common Japanese folk because issuing this coin allowed the government to cover its debt and buy up gold and silver, pay its government workers less in real terms. Tenpō Tsūhō continued to be produced for the duration of the Edo period. Despite this the actual market value of the Tenpō Tsūhō was significantly lower than its face value and was estimated only at 80 mon during the end of the Bakumatsu in 1869, while the coin had become the most commonly circulated mon denomination; accounting for 65% of all mons circulating at the time.