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Posted

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  :laughing:

I got Google ... mostly advertising..   :bang:

 

Thanks for viewing..

 

Alton 

 

 

 

 

post-2090-0-97051300-1517181047_thumb.jpg

Posted

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.

Posted

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") 

  • Like 1
Posted

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

  • Like 1
Posted

Burning "ghost money" is common in Chinese ancestral worship, but not in Japan. However, I don't have any alternative explanation for those "coins".

Posted

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.  :)

post-2090-0-32875400-1517332243_thumb.jpg

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