The sakin (gold dust) which had been produced in Mutsu Province from time immemorial was used for transactions on the basis of quality and quantity; and in the course of time, nerikin (agglutinate gold) made of dissolved sakin with a hallmark put on or takenagashikin (gold agglomeration made by putting dissolved sakin into a bamboo cylinder) began to be used, and furthermore bankin (gold coins) such as hirumokin (gold plate like a leaf of hirumo [a plant which grows on the sea sand]) which were made by beating gold blocks into the form of plates began to be made, and at first they were circulated as Hyodo kahei (currency valued by weight).
陸奥国では古くから砂金が産出し、質量に応じて取引に使用されていたが、やがてこれを鎔融して極印を打った練金（ねりきん）あるいは竹流金（たけながしきん）としたものが用いられるようになり、さらに内部まで金でできていることを証明するため、板状に打ち延ばした蛭藻金（ひるもきん）などの判金が製作されるようになり、当初これらは秤量貨幣として通用した。