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 Replies: 9 / Views: 205 |
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Valued Member
United States
283 Posts |
I have 5 of these very thin tokens (?) that are mostly rusty. Diameter = 19.5mm. Mass = .66g. On one of them, I think I am seeing a ghost-like image of a head on some kind of cart/train that is on a track moving forward.   Another one of the 5 tokens has this writing on the front and back.   Has anyone ever seen this kind of thing before? Edited by jdsstrat
Yesterday 3:56 pm
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Valued Member
United States
270 Posts |
The second one looks like Chinese to me, or maybe South Korean because of the block shape of the character.  Just my 2 cents. Joanne  |
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Valued Member
 United States
283 Posts |
Yes, to me too (and to AI), Joanne. I don't know if you can make out the first one, but to me it also has an Asian look to it.
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1072 Posts |
The second one looks a little like it's upside down and says "chu" in Chinese, but not quite, and it doesn't get used on its own, it's used to describe outward movement. The first one seems to have a tree, which is a common prefix on Chinese characters, but again, not quite a character. I don't think they're Chinese.
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Moderator
 United States
34552 Posts |
@jds, are these pieces all attracted to a magnet?
"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
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Pillar of the Community
Australia
1623 Posts |
Sorry, but they look like random marks that are not pressed into the metal at all. Paint? The first 2 images are out of focus which doesn't help.
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Moderator
Australia
16996 Posts |
The very thin rim visible on one side of each "token" is a sign to me that they were punched-out of a sheet of metal - in effect, much the same as coin blanks are. THat they were not struck or anythgin after being punched out indicates they are either non-numismatic, or were done very cheaply. I think they are "supposed to be" blank and any shapes or patterns you're seeing on the "blanks" are just Pareidolia. I agree that the characters on the painted one look "roughly Asian" but appear to be somewhat sloppily drawn - which would be unusual in a culture that prides itself on good calligraphy, which again tells me it was something done quickly, and perhaps not intended to be looked at as closely as we're now looking at them. One possibility that fits all these criteria occurs to me - especially if they're in a group or set - is that they're "stage money", used as props in theatre plays or some such. All a "stage coin" has to be is round, shiny, and be made of metal so it makes a proper clinking sound when jingled or thrown around up on the stage. Using obviously-fake-up-close prop coins reduces the chances an impoverished actor would pocket the props for spending money. 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
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Valued Member
United States
283 Posts |
Yes, they are magnetic. And, yes, that is some kind of paint. This one of the five is the only one with writing. The others are too rusty to make anything out - unless you count the blurry one in the first two pictures above, the one with either the ghostly head image or the random marks accounting for my Pareidolia. |
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Moderator
United States
34552 Posts |
Kk thanks for confirming. I agree with the others that these are not coins. @sap brings up one possibility of what they could be and I'll float another. These may be knock out blanks from an electrical box.
"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
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Valued Member
United States
283 Posts |
Thanks for the feedback, everyone! Some of you know that the items I have been posting come from the collection that belonged to my grandfather who owned a coin and stamp shop in Westchester County, NY in the 1960s - items that for the most part were not already cataloged by him or his brother who was his partner in the business. I'll never know how they were obtained or why they were kept, but before I release them back into the wild I thought it prudent to at least try to get a better idea of what they are. On that front, the input here has been invaluable! Mountains of food for thought! Thank you!
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Replies: 9 / Views: 205 |
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Posted Yesterday 2:35 pm
