Translation Help With Engraved Chinese Cash Coin

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 181
Numismat Pillar of the Community United States 1666 Posts	Posted 04/30/2026 11:51 pm Recently picked up this little "charm". Would greatly appreciate any assistance with translating what someone engraved into it. (Host coin is already identified) Thanks! :) Report this Post to the Staff

Sap Moderator Australia 16805 Posts	Posted 05/01/2026 03:31 am On the reverse (top pic), at top is bai (one hundred), at bottom is zi (child). On the right is qian (thousand) and on the left is sun (grandchild). Chinese four-character coin inscriptions are normally read in the order top-bottom-right-left. "Bai zi qian sun" thus means "may you have a hundred children and a thousand grandchildren". In a culture where the more kids you had the better off you'd be in your old age, it's safe to conclude this is definitely a "blessing" coin. On the obverse (bottom pic), at top left is chang (long), top right is a somewhat garbled ming (life), bottom right appears to be fu (fortune/luck), and bottom left gui (valuable). I assume the order is meant to be "chang ming fu gui", which is a standard Chinese blessing: "may you have longevity and prosperity". Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187446 Posts	Posted 05/01/2026 08:58 am Very interesting! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
Spence Moderator United States 34393 Posts	Posted 05/01/2026 09:07 am Really cool piece that you have there @numis. Sorta like a hobo nickel, but with much more character. "If you climb a good tree, you get a push." -----Ghanaian proverb "The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed." -----King Adz Report this Post to the Staff
Numismat Pillar of the Community United States 1666 Posts	Posted 05/01/2026 6:30 pm Thank you Sap, very much appreciate you as always And thanks Spence, glad you like it :) Report this Post to the Staff
Dearborn Moderator United States 94636 Posts	Posted 05/02/2026 8:07 pm very nice coin Collecting since 1972. Learning from then on "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin 7070 type set coin count: 51/76 Uncirculated American Silver Eagles My American Silver Eagle Proof Collection Sacagawea Dollars Innovation Dollars Eisenhower-Dollars Kennedy-Half Dollars Washington-Quarters Roosevelt-Dimes Buffalo-Nickels 1938-2005 Jefferson-Nickels Lincoln-Cents Report this Post to the Staff
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