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Ancient Chinese Coin

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Hong Kong
10 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  07:59 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add deme to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
Hello gentleman,

Found this object while metal detecting in Hong Kong that I believe to be a coin:

Ancient-Chinese-Coin

Its made of lead, weights 4 grams and measure 1cm (w) x 1.5cm (h)

Would be extremely grateful if anyone could id it for me.

Many thanks!

(pic on the right is the object and on the left I shadowed the relevant parts)
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Kamnaskires's Avatar
United States
7066 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  08:24 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Kamnaskires to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Looks more like a Byzantine lead seal than a Chinese coin.
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Finn235's Avatar
United States
6130 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  09:59 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Finn235 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
I don't think any country in that part of the world made coins that looked like that. China went from knives and spades to round holed coins, and I don't think they used lead at all until the Song dynasty.

The other countries in the area mostly used imitations of Chinese coins, or else cast, mostly uninscribed ingots such as "boat money" of "tiger tongue money".

That said, it could be a charm or similar. It *almost* looks like Chinese writing on your picture. Maybe TypeCoin could weigh in here.

You might consider posting this one to charm.ru
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echizento's Avatar
United States
23731 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  3:05 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add echizento to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
to the community.

I agree with bob it looks more like a Byzantine seal than a coin. Hong Kong is a long way from the Silk Road where something like this might be found. I've been to Hong Kong may times, were on the island did you find this?
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TypeCoin971793's Avatar
United States
6370 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  9:34 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add TypeCoin971793 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
It could be a Christian artefact from when missionaries were prevalent in Chinese society (ca 1800-1950). Or it could be a burial item (which would be unlikely assuming there was no grave nearby). I don't know what it is. It is certainly not a mainstream Chinese coin, though. Consider taking it to a museum.


Quote:
and I don't think they used lead at all until the Song dynasty.


I have lead coins dating back to 200 BC.
New Member
Hong Kong
10 Posts
 Posted 02/10/2017  10:47 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add deme to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Thank you for your replies gentleman.

This object was found in Hong Kong Island and it has what it seems ancient Chinese script on it, so I'm almost sure its from Chinese origin.

The most similar thing I found to this object on my research were this Chinese gold coins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ying_Yuan

"Some specimens have been reported in copper, lead, or clay. It is probable that these were funeral money, not circulating coinage, as they are found in tombs, but the gold coins are not."

So until now most probable option is that this is "funeral money" and can be as old as from the 5th or 6th century BC.

(Chinese graves can be found often very distant and randomly in the hills, I found this in the woods with no marks of a grave near by, I avoid them for obvious reasons)
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