Unknown Charms
I am seeking your assistance in helping me identify and
better understand a few of my old charms, coins and tokens.
Please contact me
if you can provide information on any of the following.
This is a very unusual Chinese coin or charm which appears to
show a man and a woman engaged in some type of sexual
activity.
The charm has no Chinese inscription and is unlike
any of the Chinese marriage charms
with which I am familiar.
This may simply be an erotic bedroom scene.
Or, perhaps, the couple is just involved in some type of
harmless activity which is not obvious to this observer.
The reverse side is smooth with only a small spindle
depression in the center.
The charm has a diameter of 28.5 mm and a weight of 14.7
grams.
This is another unusual and interesting charm.
A horse with long
reins is shown above the square hole.
Below the square hole is a man who appears to be running
toward a hut or house at the left.
This may be a Japanese charm since I am aware of Japanese
charms which depict a monkey
dragging a horse.
However, this charm seems to have a different theme.
The other side of the charm appears to have two Chinese
characters with one character above the square hole and the
other below.
There is considerable wear on the charm and I am unable to
discern what these two characters are.
The charm has a diameter of 24 mm and a weight of 5.9 grams.
The symbols above the square hole on this charm appear to be a
ruyi sceptre and a Chinese halberd with
its shaft extending downwards into a vase.
There appears to be a writing brush
at the lower left corner of the square hole.
However, I am unable to identify the other symbol or symbols
displayed below the square hole.
For reference purposes, this is the obverse side of the charm.
The inscription reads sheng
cai ru yi (生财如意) which means "become
wealthy according to your wishes".
This charm is discussed at Auspicious
Inscriptions.
The charm has a diameter of 21.3 mm and a weight of
3.6 grams.
This Chinese token is displayed at Chinese
Tokens and has clearly seen much use. It was
probably cast in Jiangsu Province in the middle to late
1800's.
Because of the wear, I am still trying to decipher the
characters.
The character at the top looks like qian (前) meaning before, front, forward,
etc.
The character to the left of the center hole appears to be mao (茂) which means "rich
and splendid".
I cannot make out the characters to the right and below the
center hole.
For your reference purposes, this is the other side of the
token.
The inscription reads yi bai wen zheng (一佰文正) which means "one
hundred cash coins only".
The token is 27 mm in diameter and weighs 6.7 grams.
This may be a charm or, perhaps, a game piece.
The inscription reads bai xian
chang shou (百仙长寿).
Bai xian (百
仙) means "hundred immortals" or "hundred fairies".
Chang shou (长寿)
means "long life" or "longevity".
I am unclear as to the reference to the "hundred immortals" and am
hoping that someone can provide some guidance.
The reverse side of this piece
depicts a deer.
The deer symbolizes "longevity".
The deer also represents success in attaining an official
government position which brings with it honor and wealth.
Another example of a single deer on the reverse side of a charm
may be seen at "Men
Plow, Women Weave".
You will also notice that between the legs of the deer is a
Chinese character which, unfortunately, is difficult to identify
because of the wear. The character may be dao (道) or tong (通) or ???. I am
hoping a visitor can help identify this character.
One last characteristic of this piece is that it has a round hole
instead of a square hole.
The diameter is 27 mm and the weight is 9.5 grams.
The inscription on this old charm reads yu jin deng qing (玉禁澄清).
However, I am having difficulty understanding the hidden
meaning of this inscription.
The reverse side of the charm displays a dragon on the right and a
phoenix on the left.
The charm has a diameter of 34 mm and a weight of 11.8 grams.
Again, I would very much like to hear from you if
you can provide information on any of the above charms and tokens.
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