Spartancrest

It may even be the same piece, the faults are too identical - which means only one example so is it cast? There are many tsuba with smaller hitsu on one side - that would not eliminate it.

Most kinko [soft metal] guards are cast - then reworked for finer details. This thread has a cut down version of your iron guard with the "tansu" handles or fern shoots if you prefer. this guard is very modern - they are still being made https://katanzo.us/shop/tsuba-kishi/

Middle left is a Chinese repro - https://www.rubylane.com/item/2203710-BR-1622-061625-01/Sword-Guard-Tsuba-Brass-Guan-Gong As is this one https://www.lot-art.com/auction-lots/A-Japanese-rectangular-bronze-tsuba-embossed-with-a-figure/291-japanese_rectangular_bronze-18.8.20-walli Bottom second from the right (kinko flowers with signature) could be genuine.

What makes you think that the constellation tsuba was cast iron? Apart from the sheer numbers! https://www.ebay.com/itm/306003721388 bargain! two fakes from eBay https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/antique-tsuba-for-samurai-sword-t-474/ Described here as "Age: Edo period Material: Iron" There is no shortage of them!

To answer my own question I just found this cast iron tsuba with it's price tag [not a "miochin" but similar packaging] I don't know when this dates from, it could be very recent? https://www.jauce.com/auction/x1239509352 There are examples of hand made "running rabbits" A rather nice "red" copper with some inlay. I don't think the rabbits were cast as such, they seem to be stamped out by some drop forge method. The prices are becoming ridiculous for such mass produced pieces, The rabbits were designed for practice swords sometime in the 1950s though based on several Edo patterns. Replicas of Katana called MOZOTO or MOGITO in Japanese (模造刀・模擬刀)

There is some speculation "Kunihiro" tsuba were also bought as "blanks" that other artists went on to decorate more lavishly - the metal was generally good quality. Perhaps this might explain why some of these look unfinished?

A coral brooch or obidome - big asking price for such a small though elegant object. https://www.jauce.com/auction/n1238165796 50,000 yen 6cm long

I don't blame you for wanting to replace that copper guard - if they are not mass produced they are so common they they may as well be! A mix of good utsushi and factory produced - but you only know that after you pay the cash and it is often too late! https://www.japankatana.com/tsuba/tsuba_084.htm https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/1707176994/tsuba-samurai-sword-sword-guard-wave?lang_mismatch=1 https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product/the-one-and-only-tsuba-clock-t-31/ https://www.ebay.com/itm/134884105212 https://www.bonhams.com/auction/20802/lot/345/a-bronze-kagamishi-tsuba/ Too many of these are available - - I wouldn't buy one even if it had 'papers' [unless you are short of toilet paper?]

And a bad memory at that!

A ghastly, poorly made copy of the same design https://www.wkc-shop.de/en/product?info=1897&country_preselect_country=AU&country_preselect_currency=USD No risk of mistaking this for an Edo masterpiece! Or this thing! https://www.ebay.com/itm/145811426452 Worth a laugh!

Way back to this type of "repro" Unique Japan https://uniquejapan.com/ had this sword and possibly the original guard? It has an added fukurin and distinctly different tagane-ato - - so it is possible?

This one has gone through the auction site several times - perhaps the message has got out? https://www.jauce.com/auction/u1198645561 12,000 yen is beyond what it is worth.

One other item to point out is the total lack of any seppa "shadow" on any of these. Indeed the seppa-dai all appear "lumpy" and granular. As a casting they are superb examples of the genre and I won't give away my 25 cent version as it still represents a side of tsuba collecting still worthy of study. JUST DON'T PAY HUGE SUMS! [I truly wish I could find some original advertised cost for when these were first sold - a rough date would be a great help as well]

Sorry but they are in need of some new glasses - regardless of their scrutiny I would advise all members of this forum to avoid purchasing the thing if it ever does jump to the "for sale" side of their business. What would be an appropriate price for one of these things anyway? In the Art world fakes or forgeries are literally worth nothing and are generally destroyed but what is a metal paperweight worth these days when no one uses paperweights? They may need to do the ultimate test - drop the darn thing onto a concrete floor - I bet it won't bounce [or be in one piece after the test!] Going back to Posted November 21, 2020 From the evidence these things have failed the test more than once! This design is one TOSA worth tossing away!

Going back to this : https://chano-yu.com/antique-myochin-tsuba-iron-samurai-sword-guard-5069/ The bottom end of these guards are usually where the casting evidence shows up the most, there is clear evidence of a grinder being used to clean up that edge - perhaps where the mold/mould was filled from?