25'' long overall; 38 coins; 13.4 ounces; non-ferrous. Black finish isn't paint, and these are remarkably crude; very hard to get good detail; the following post will have to do until I get some good natural lighting. They were part of my uncle's swag, and have hung on the wall for maybe 30 years. Thanks for looking, and your welcome comments & wisdom. wlw
Here are a few close-up pics...sorry about the poor detail. The sun will shine again, and I'll be trying for better work. wlw
I agree. Looks like maybe Boo Yuwan (Beijing) according to my Krause guide, but it's hard to read. Qing Dynasty.
Just went to wikipedia, the page on Qing Dynasty coinage. My head is spinning! Now it's a must to produce sufficiently high-definition photos to accurately ID this tree...and hopefully determine if genuine or fake (apparently there were many of them, and they were readily accepted as cash as there was little real difference in value). Is the black finish any indicator of authenticity? Part of me (a small, timid part) wants to snap one of the 38 coins off that tree, sand both sides for clarity, and so have a definitive identification. No Fear, folks...it's just a fools thought, not to be allowed expression. Let me dream a bit: If genuine, how rare is the tree? Any ideas about potential value, or where to take my research from here? 264 years is a long time, and surely this pattern wasn't made identically during that whole period? This line is lifted straight off that wiki page: Boo Yuwan Ministry of Public Works (gōngbù, 工部), Beijing, Zhili 1644–1908 Thanks, all, for your interest and suggestions! Warren
Well...the sun remains hidden, so this is my best effort. I hope there is enough detail to allow better identification...especially to narrow the window on year made. Anything else I an offer, to assist in this ID? Thanks, all of you, for looking. wlw
Cast around 1862–1875 under Tongzhi Emperor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_cash_coins_by_inscription Pretty neat!
Thanks! I'll bet the coins, circulated, are literally a dime a dozen...but the cast tree, as is, may have some value. I'll post those pics, with your generously furnished link, in the 'What's it Worth' forum...perhaps there'll be a good resource there. wlw
It has been a while since I've seen a perfect unbroken example. The last time I saw one for offer, the seller was asking closer to the 4 figure mark. It used to be 'common' but I have not seen an example for the last 5+ years.
