This token/coin is something I've had in my collection for a while. I never knew what it was, except that it's Chinese and from the "Year of the Dog, 1994." I think it's a token. I also think it's pretty unremarkable. If you have any information on what this is, or who made it, please let me know! Thanks in advance...
I am not familiar with this type of "coin" but maybe I can help a little with the translation. Regarding the left image, the Chinese at the top is jia xu. The Chinese traditional calendar identifies years by combining one of the Ten Heavenly Stems with one of the Twelve Earthly Branches. The combination jia xu translates as the year 1994. The Chinese near the bottom rim is shanghai zaobichang which translates as "The Shanghai Mint" so this piece was made in Shanghai. The Chinese produce commemorative pieces for every occasion and this one, as you already know, commemorates the "Year of the Dog". The right image is upside-down but the two large Chinese characters are gou nian which means "Year of the Dog". The two little Chinese characters are just too small for me to read. Sorry I cannot provide any additional assistance. Gary
Interesting info, Gary...thanks! It looks like a token to me. I was born in the "Year of the Dog" (1958) and have various commemorative coin and token sets from 1958-2006, but I haven't seen that one. My experience is that the actual coins have some sort of denomination on them...but I'm just a casual collector.
It’s a medal commemorating the year of dog. You know Chinese has 12 animal signs, which symbolize the 12 branches used to designate years (according to lunar calendar). Such medals were issued every year in the Shanghai mint. You have put the reverse upside down. The reverse is kind of handwriting of Chinese characters which means the year of dog. The two little Chinese characters are the signature of the writer. It’s not a coin but it is quite popular in China.
