This is one of those 'where did I get this coin again?' I've had it for a while, and to the best of my recollection, no idea where or how I ended up with it... I think it was a piece I picked up in a misc. auction lot. I posted this one in another forum, and received an excellent theory, but I thought I would see if anyone here has an opinion. The coin appears to be machine struck, and I'm guessing by the weight and corrosion appearance, I think it's iron. Beyond that, I got nothin'.
99% probability that it is money, and very possibly Japanese even though I cannot find it in my catalog of Japanese cash coins. The Japanese reading of the bottom character on the two-character side is "sen", the minor monetary denomination; and the 3:00 character on the other side can mean "money", "finance", etc. Many cash coins were struck, not cast, in the late 19th-early 20th Centuries, and iron coins are known. Corrosion has made it virtually impossible to read many of the characters with any certainty. The overall calligraphy, including the top/bottom two-character side, is more typical of Japanese than Chinese, Korean or Annamese coinage.
Now I do like the look of these coins but will admit to been daunted by them LOL 1st with the Iding and 2nd with the amoutn of fakes reported to be on the market. Any one know of any good places to buy? (Will ship to the UK)
I know very little about these coins. The character at 3 o'clock looks like the Chinese wealth symbol? http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-wealth-symbol.html
It's definitely Japanese. On the obverse side (four character side), the kanji at the top means "drunk" as in "intoxicated". The Japanese write the right side of this character differently from the Chinese so we can confirm that this piece is Japanese and not Chinese. The bottom kanji means "bamboo". The character on the right means "fortune", "property", "possessions", etc. The character on the left means "cloth". Interestingly enough, this character can also refer to a very ancient form of Chinese money known as spade money. However, I do not think the character has this alternative meaning in Japanese. Assuming the inscription is read in the traditional order (top, bottom, right, left), the meaning would be something like "drunken bamboo, fortune and cloth" which probably is not very enlightening to most of us who do not understand the cultural environment in which it was produced. Regarding the reverse side, the kanji at the top means "seed". It can also mean "type" or "kind". The character at the bottom means "money" so the translation is probably "seed money". Unfortunately, I do not collect Japanese coins and do not have a good understanding of Japanese culture. Therefore, I cannot tell you what this piece actually is. It could be almost anything -- a coin, token, charm, gambling piece, game counter, souvenir from a samurai film, video game or business conference, etc. There are historical references to "drunken bamboo", however. There was a "drunken bamboo" festival in ancient China and, after a quick search online, I saw a Japanese reference to poetry and the "Old Gentleman of the Drunken Bamboo". Hopefully, someone with a better knowledge of Japanese culture can now better identify this piece and place it in its proper cultural context. Gary
Cool This is not a currency, but a philosophy coin. There are 3 variants of theese and its usable as for instance carried on a necklage, and as when you need to gain perspective on life, you lift one by one up, and gaze trough its hole opon your world and reality. Youll need to keep it close to your eye. This is one of the 3 perspectives to obtain and get wise from. Dont know how old this philosophy is, but you gotto love those asians, there most likely the most culturally advanced continents in our world. That means, who knows if the coin is 10 years old, or 1000. Dont think its too old though seeing the inner hole and its kind of massproduced looks, still having theese very thin layers of minerals not worn off.
Rick, Can't help you on this coin ....but good to see you posting againdd: let's get that website updated
hey conrad! good to be back, really. I agree - time for some updates to the site, but unfortunately, I don't have anything to add yet. I think that 1/4 daalder was my last purchase. Hoping that will change next weekend though. BECC show coming up, and I always find good things there... if not, I think the PNNA show is right around the corner.
about the coin... this theory came from someone who knows far more on the subject than I do. He posts under the name sumnom: "The left hand image has a four-character phrase. It reads top to bottom, right to left. I don't really get the first two characters. Literally, they read "drunk bamboo" but I don't think we should take it that way. The character for "drunk" can also mean "happy/happiness." I found the two characters together in people's styles (pen names) and in the names of pavillions where one might drink among the bamboo trees. I think it probably means to be drunk/happy in the bamboo grove. Let's reduce that to "happiness." The characters from right to left mean "money purse" or "money pouch." The right hand image reads from top to bottom and literally means "seed money" or "seed coin." In the dictionary this means a pattern piece, a trial strike, or a pattern from which the molds are made for casting other coins. However, I do not think it means that here. I think we can understand it in much the same way we understand the English term "seed money." This is the money one uses to start an enterprise to make more money. It is the seed from which other coins will spring. One can also understand the Chinese here to mean "to plant money." You might then want to plant this coin in your purse of happiness so that it will become full of wealth and bliss. So, in short, I think the left image reads, "purse of bliss" and the right image reads, "seed money" and that this is a charm for bringing wealth and happiness. Also, my gut tells me that it is of recent manufacture." also, from another board member Sapyx: "I can't speak for East Asian cultures, but for some folks it's considered bad luck (or at least very poor manners) to give an empty purse or wallet as a gift - there's supposed to be something in it. A "token" or charm such as this one would seem to serve the purpose nicely. I'd suspect a purse/wallet manufacturer might well have had these made to insert into their newly-made purses or wallets. That way, they'd be "ready-to-give""
