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Message:: [QUOTE="norantyki, post: 7815192, member: 118879"]Its an interesting thought, but I would be left to wonder why so many of these were produced (with them apparently coming to market with greater frequency than I would expect from a pattern). For context, Japan spent much of the 1880s building up its armed forces following the reforms of the late 1870s, and with the tensions relating to the Korean peninsula in the lead up to the first Sino-Japanese War, it is not inconceivable that such tokens were born out of some reform or another. I don't know about the Japanese context, but I do know that in other places, it was common for armies to have 'camp shops' in which troops could buy small luxuries / things that were not provided in their rations - these oftentimes were run with some degree of involvement of the commanding officer. I have also considered the composition, but a military or canteen token might also be struck in a distinct metal so as to avoid it entering general circulation. The marks are indeed puzzling, and I still cant wrap my head around the selective copper plating. One possible thought about Ikegami is that perhaps he was the commander under whose authority these tokens were issued? But then, why in latin characters? Either way, as it seems that little is actually known about these, I suspect that most conjecture will remain just that.[/QUOTE]