A Side Collection - China under Japanese Occupation

I just poked through my Jacobs/Vermeule and he/they (I can't remember which one did the text vs. the catalog) only noted the red fiber.

It was specifically noted that the only coins included in the book were ones that had seen and/or otherwise verfied by the authors, and interestingly did not include any of the porcelain/clay patterns. In fact they have a few words about 'patternitis' and an Eastern fascination with patterns real or created-- and otherwise confined themselves to patterns for coins intended to circulate. No clay coins for them!

Cummings also referred to the red fiber but called it Magnesite. He noted that brown specimens have also been found. His apparent speculation is that the brown ones might represent those that circulated and underwent a color change due to usage, with the red ones being 'as minted'. This does fit with what @gxseries notes.

Cummings also is where I see the word porcelain applied to the clay coins. He noted the white, red, and variable shades of brown. I don't know the exact specifications required to use the word porcelain, but I have a feeling that clay is more appropriate.

Also, I ran the applicable pages of the JNDA through a translation program which was interesting. The Manchukuo (?sp) are listed in English as Manchurian. The English subtitle is Red Fiber. The translation calls them Magnesite (as did Cummings) which I'm guessing is a component of the 'red fiber' after looking at what Wiki calls magnesite.

I saw no mention of brown fiber in the JNDA.

And, back to the clay/porcelain issues--the clay components are listed as though they are metal alloys and interestingly it looks like some of the different denominations were from different potteries. Colors are noted as existing, and all are listed in the pattern section and specified as unissued. That is not to say some might not have escaped the potteries-turned-mints, but the official JNDA calls them 'unissued'.

I do find it odd that the clay coins are listed by Krause as patterns AND included under the circulation coinage--seems like it would be one or the other!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.