Idiomatic expression likening courage to a thousand ryō (gold coins), implying great value. Often used in set phrases like 度胸千両だ or 度胸千両の男.
That man has nerves of steel.
It was a decision that took real guts.
Compound of 度胸 (courage) and 千両 (a thousand ryō, an old currency unit). The phrase figuratively equates boldness to a fortune, suggesting that courage is as valuable as a large sum of money.