A while ago I found an Asian coin/medallion in a relatively new park in Canberra. It had a square hole, 4 characters on one side but the other side was covered by what looked like the residue of sticky paper so I couldn't see what was on that side of the object. I had read a bit about Chinese good luck charms and thought that what it was. After all it was not deep in the ground in a park that was only about 20 years old. I put it away.
Just recently I went to an old town near Canberra and dug, among other things a dozen pennies and halfpennies from the 1910s and wondered what had happened to the pre-1900s and what about the silvers. I dug up another Asian coin with a round hole. This time, given where I found it, very close to a number of Chinese dominated gold areas, I thought "aha, my first Chinese coin".
Over the last couple of days I cleaned the first object up. It had the Boo sign where I couldn't see before. That is a sign of a Chinese coin rather than a lucky charm. What the? In a recently made Canberra Park? Is this actually my first Chinese coin? You beauty! I could not identify how old the coin is but appears that it is a "1 cash". I could not find the mint mark (opposite the Boo character) on any of the sites I've visited but the four characters on it are quite similar if not the same as that shown for a coin 1796-1820. It seems bronze and is 24mm diameter. However, unfortunately it weighs 3.05g rather than 4.6g although it is quite worn. I think now that it is a replica. Sigh
A mate suggested to me that the other coin was actually Japanese and quite recent. I was a bit surprised given the age of the finds around it in a Chinese dominated gold area in an old town. Deflated I checked and yes it was a 5 yen of fairly recent vintage.
So I am still on the lookout for my first Chinese coin.
Just recently I went to an old town near Canberra and dug, among other things a dozen pennies and halfpennies from the 1910s and wondered what had happened to the pre-1900s and what about the silvers. I dug up another Asian coin with a round hole. This time, given where I found it, very close to a number of Chinese dominated gold areas, I thought "aha, my first Chinese coin".
Over the last couple of days I cleaned the first object up. It had the Boo sign where I couldn't see before. That is a sign of a Chinese coin rather than a lucky charm. What the? In a recently made Canberra Park? Is this actually my first Chinese coin? You beauty! I could not identify how old the coin is but appears that it is a "1 cash". I could not find the mint mark (opposite the Boo character) on any of the sites I've visited but the four characters on it are quite similar if not the same as that shown for a coin 1796-1820. It seems bronze and is 24mm diameter. However, unfortunately it weighs 3.05g rather than 4.6g although it is quite worn. I think now that it is a replica. Sigh
A mate suggested to me that the other coin was actually Japanese and quite recent. I was a bit surprised given the age of the finds around it in a Chinese dominated gold area in an old town. Deflated I checked and yes it was a 5 yen of fairly recent vintage.
So I am still on the lookout for my first Chinese coin.
