Hello all. I originally posted this in coins/tokens, but was recommended to re-post it here.
I've recently acquired (bought from
ebay) a very strange Japanese/Chinese coin.
I design board games and I have been working on a feudal-Japan-conquer-and-control - style game. I really needed something to be a very cool "first player" marker, so I thought I would get an antique coin - something tangible that people could pass around and would really appreciate.
So... I searched and found a very exciting-looking coin on
ebay. Bought it. Coin arrived. All good.
The coin is about 2 inches wide, bronze colour, looks old but not ancient. (See pictures).
Well... the problems soon started. I tried to identify the writing on the back - the seller didn't know, friends didn't know (although they thought that it was probably a Chinese coin - not much help for a Japanese game). Tried facebook for any help - nothing, other than "probably a Chinese coin".
Right. Getting very vexed now. I go down to my local two Chinese takeaways and try asking very politely for them to help me translate. The first one (very busy - not interested) dismissed it as an "old Chinese coin". Great. The second one (very friendly) was happy to take a look, quickly said that it was Chinese, but then got very anxious and asked, "Are you Christian?" I said yes, thoroughly confused, though I know that she is quite a keen practising Christian. She then said that I shouldn't have this if I am Christian - that it is something like a curse - definitely not a coin. She said that she couldn''t actually translate it but actually encouraged me to throw it away!
Thoroughly confused and a little anxious (as we have always got on well and I didn't want to worry her), I tried an image recognition/translation software - nothing. Then I remembered seeing this community when I tried to identify the coin the first time and thought that you could help.
Well? Any thoughts? I would love to be able to go back to her and explain the real translation, plus I need to know what I've got if I'm going to be handing it around in a board game or for friends to take a look at!
So far, I've had a very kind comment on the original post from member "Harmonica" who had some good suggestions - probably Chinese, possibly a re-print of a cash coin, but no-one seems to know or be able to translate the multitude of characters on the back. The front (4 symbols) may be (according to a Chinese friend's mother) a protective blessing / proverb / aphorism - something to do with getting through hardships.
The mystery deepens!
Do you think that you could help?
Posted 01/03/2016 09:14 am
