I am getting coal for sure this year...

I am embarrassed to report that I still have not identified one of the coins I got for Secret Saturnalia last year.

I know, what have I been doing all year?

Well, 3 or 4 times I spent an hour or hours trying to figure it out. It is way outside my normal collecting knowledge base.

Here is the coin (its a beauty that certainly looks ancient):



My Secret Santa provided some good hints, but they still are not enough for me to find this online:

"The round coin is ancient Chinese, yet was used as currency in another land."

I assume the other land was Japanese, because they also gave me this awesome Japanese coin:



Which I did figure out (pretty easy given its size and shape).

More clues:

"These are not overly ancient, but not common, they are from after Columbus sailed, but before Commodore Perry reached shore."

I make that to be between 1492 and 1853 (the year Commodore Perry reached Tokyo).

The final clue should be the giveaway:

"The round coin is Yuan."

Even armed with this knowledge I can't find a match for this coin online! It seems the Yuan dynasty lasted from 1271-1368 if I am reading this correctly.

I tried to look up Emperor's name symbols to identify the characters (top and bottom). Forget about it. Looking up Chinese characters is hard. Even the websites where you draw the character are not helping me.

Is there something obvious I am missing here?

I feel like a 失败者 !!! Go ahead and try to figure out what that means.

Give me a hint without giving it away.

And post your last year's Saturnalia gifts if you like!

John

 

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Google translate it awesome...!

You are not a loser ;-)

Nice post.

 

Now try typing the Chinese characters on my coin into Google Translate.

Go ahead, I will wait right here.

























Yeah, I thought so...

 

Try the 1600-1850 time range for the round one (it is Japanese), and 1750-1850 for the oval one (It is Japanese as well)

 

But, but, but, but...

One of the clues says the coin is Chinese.

 

By the way, my Secret Saturn from last year is the bomb, they also gave me this rare coin:



Aelia Flacilla, the wife of Theodosius I, who, you know...

 

Only 'bad' guys get coal for Christmas John. You're a good guy........and a scholar.

 

I think the Santa meant that the concept of that round coin was Chinese, but was spread elsewhere.

 

This should help a lot.

I felt like I was trying to buy fresh fish in the hardware department at Sears.

 

Hey mon....I can give you a hint about you first coin mon.







Look mon....I'z a got one also mon!

 

I could tell you now, but it's night, so I will wait until the Rising Sun. Maybe I will root for the Buffaloes against the Tigers.

 

Oh! If only someone would give me a hint, even if it was only a play on words!

 

James Clavell is a pretty good author mon!

 

I got a Japanese one too


Japan
Edo Period (1835-1870)
AE 100-mon 49.5mmx32.5mm, 21.9g
Musashi Province
O: Ten Po-Tsu Ho
R: Hyacku
Hartill Japan # 5.7

 

Sorry @Theodosius I cannot help you. Japanese coinage is out of my bailiwick for the time being.

However, I will take you up on your offer to post last year's Saturnalia Gift.

@Mikey Zee came through BIG TIME for me last year. I knew the definition and significance of the Curule Chair. It represented the power base for Roman Magistrates. I did NOT have a coin depicting it, and I was on the prowl for one. For Saturnalia, Mikey NAILED it: A Roman Republic version:


RR P Furius Crassipes 84 BC AR Denarius 19mm 3.84g Rome Turreted head Cybele right foot upward Curule chair Cr 356-1a Syd 735 Furia 20

 

..trade coin Japanese city name....atomic....

 

Ok ok enough hints.

I will look it up tonight.

I am pretty sure it is from Jamaica.



John

 

No wait, it's from Japan!

Maybe this coin from Numista?

https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces20859.html

Country Japan
Type Common coin
Years 1636-1862
Value 1 Mon (0.001)
Metal Cast Copper, bronze, brass or iron
Diameter 24 mm
Thickness 1 mm
Shape Round with a square hole
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
Demonetized yes
References C# 1, Hartill# 25.51-53

That is a wide range of possible dates. I guess they made these for a long time?

Thanks for all the help,

John

 

They were. I don't know the differences to tell when it was made.