I recently got this old coin. I think it is actually a temple token from India, but I have not been able to find a similar token on the internet. Does anyone know what it is, and where and when it is from? Thanks!
Your token is very similar (though not identical) to the piece catalogued as #4741 in Michael Mitchiner's "Oriental Coins and Their Values, Volume II: Non-Islamic States and Western Colonies AD 600- 1979". The token is Sikh (not Hindu) and shows important figures from the religion's history. The side you label as "Coin 1" shows Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh religion, seated cross-legged under a tree with two disciples, one holding a tamboura (a musical instrument) and the other holding a peacock feather. The other side shows Guru Govind Singh (1666-1708), the tenth and last Sikh Guru, seated with a falcon. Guru Govind Singh was important in codifying the Sikh religion and was a fierce warrior against the Mughals. Your piece has a date of 1804, but most temple-token dates are "pseudo-dates" that have little if any relation to when the pieces were actually produced. Most temple tokens are from the 19th and 20th centuries, more precise dating is probably impossible. Hope this helps.
Hi all, I'm a newbie to coin talk but I do visit and lurk a little . I have a temple token acquired recently that was passed off as an "Egyptian silver coin" . I can find similar but nothing exact, there a slight differences to any other token I've found. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance .
@Northantsno1 : Your token is a Hindu piece. The first side shows the Seven Rishis (seven important sages from early Hindu scripture), each holding his distinctive banner. The other side shows Rama and his consort Sita seated on a throne; Rama's brother Lakshmana stands at the left, while Kusha and Lava, the two sons of Rama and Sita, stand to the right, and the monkey god Hanuman sits under the throne. As usual, hard to date precisely, probably 19th or 20th century manufacture.
