I got these at a coin store today but I'm not calling them coins. They were intriguing though and I'm wondering what they are. Any ideas?
This looks like your first item? https://www.fengshuiweb.co.uk/shop/...i-hua-fu-zhou-protection-plum-blossom-amulet/ Mei Hua Fu Zhou Protection Plum Blossom Amulet some text from that website: This coin is shaped like the Plum Blossom Flower, which symbolises total happiness and harmony. The Chinese characters 长命守富貴 Chang, Ming, Shou. Fu and Gui are inscribed on the five petals, which donates auspicious luck with longevity, protection and wealth. This coin dates back to the Ming Dynasty and is shaped as a Plum blossom, which is one of the four types of auspicious flowers, the plum blossom which symbolises willpower, confidence, persistence, endurance and resolute in protecting against everything.
The second reminds me of the Japanese Koban https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koban_(coin) ....but I don't know enough to figure out if this is a replica, a fantasy piece, or something completely different (maybe not even Japanese).
I had the same thought. I know enough about them to know there's money from Japan that looks like this but that's about it. It's not magnetic but I can't decide if I think it's silver. The coin shop charged me $5 for it so they didn't obviously.
I've seen a lot of those at coin shows; apparently a lot of fantasy pieces are made in the style of koban coins but are not replicas of any actual coins, nor were they ever intended to be used as coins. Still collectible in the sense that anything is. People still collect tokens, medals, and fantasy pieces, so as long as you know what it is, want it, and don't pay more than it's actually worth go for it.
Yeah right now I'm thinking it's probably not what I first thought it was because I doubt it's silver. It has holes on both ends so it could have been on a chain or something originally.
