ken kata Posted January 28, 2018 Report Posted January 28, 2018 I got this about a month ago (?).. Craftsmanship was remarkable, .. " I just had to have it " ... I was searching the 'net.. Amazingly, nothing. So, maybe member's might "enlighten" me with what I got. I thought, from remembering things i read/head thru the years, that this might be some kind of currency. Did not have, or use "Precious" metals for "coinage". From a town or company/Family. The randomly placed symbols would be some kind of counter counterfeiting device/system. Used with an authenticating template. Hey, Big... search your "Japanese Magic Browser " for me I got Google ... mostly advertising.. Thanks for viewing.. Alton Quote
Bazza Posted January 28, 2018 Report Posted January 28, 2018 Amazing bit of carving. Official stamp of some sort??? BaZZa. 1 Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 29, 2018 Report Posted January 29, 2018 Koban were gold coins. These look like funeral money, wooden copies of koban, to burn, Koden. John 1 Quote
ken kata Posted January 29, 2018 Author Report Posted January 29, 2018 Thank You John, I was looking it up on the 'net.Only had those Beautiful Japanese Presentation Envelopes. It is hard to imagine, that they would do all that intricate carvings, and then, burn them. Looks like they are wood, but, could they be like a wood fiber powder, mixed with lacquer, and then press/stamped/molded into these Kodens? And, not carved by hand? and, could they have some kind of "Value" as "themselves" at that time? Still represent some type/kind of "currency". as, I wonder about the randomly placed symbols/Kanji on the Reverse. Thanks for posting Guys. Quote
SteveM Posted January 29, 2018 Report Posted January 29, 2018 The kanji are 壱兩 (nowadays this would be written as 一両) Ichi ryō old unit of currency and 光次 (Mitsutugu + kao)the name of the Shogun's finance governor also 大 (dai = "big") 1 Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 29, 2018 Report Posted January 29, 2018 Ken it is conjecture on my part, but, there were no wooden koban used for commercial trade. That it is funeral money seems the only explanation and why they were painted gold. The ritual is still done using faux paper currency and paper cars and houses etc. then burned for use in the afterlife. The only thing that distresses me is the metal fukurin. I could be in error just as easily. John 1 Quote
Guido Posted January 29, 2018 Report Posted January 29, 2018 Burning "ghost money" is common in Chinese ancestral worship, but not in Japan. However, I don't have any alternative explanation for those "coins". Quote
Guido Posted January 29, 2018 Report Posted January 29, 2018 Maybe it comes from one of those replica coin displays that are often sold on Yahoo Japan? https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/closedsearch/closedsearch/%E5%A4%A7%E5%88%A4+%E5%B0%8F%E5%88%A4+%E9%A1%8D/20000/ 1 Quote
Baka Gaijin Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 How big is it? I was thinking perhaps Kanban for shop display? Quote
ken kata Posted January 30, 2018 Author Report Posted January 30, 2018 Good Morning Guys, Attached is a comparative Photo of the Koden. The dimentions/sizes are: About (In Metric ) = 61.22 mm x 34.7 mm x 8.67 mm Thick in Decimal ( inches) = 2.412" x 1.37" x 2.56" thick In Fractions ( of inches) 2 7/16 " x 1 3/8 " x 1/4 " thick Thanks for the viewings and postings Guys. Quote
John A Stuart Posted January 30, 2018 Report Posted January 30, 2018 Maybe it is just as simple as being a souvenir, like the wooden nickel of Chicago's world fair. John Quote
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