✅ SOLVED Unique silver medal/coin

[Punatic]

Posted this in the coin forum with no hits, hoping someone can ID this here for me.

Found at a Japanese women's estate sale, place had tons of Japanese items so that's what I've based my search around but have come up with nada.

Rings true and is not magnetic so my thought is silver.

Possible Makers mark also on the bottom of one side with a date of 1967.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Cry Of The Eagle: History And Legends Of The Cherokee Indians And Their Buried Treasure - Grab it through Amazon!

[nhbenz]

It does appear to be a Japanese silver mark: Maker mark, assay mark: japanese flag and (silver fineness): 1000 within rhomb silver hallmark. Hallmarks www.h.cx.

 

[Punatic]

Hmm no name of the maker tho? Must be Japanese royalty of some sort. Came in a box with 2 spaces but one coin/item was missing.

 

[david680]

Hmmmm....how can we call it unique before we even know what it is? Anyway, interesting piece. I don't know where you would go for a reference on Japanese medals. Its a neat piece, and its silver, all cool.

 

[mcl]

So, translating the obverse seems to suggest that this coin is celebrating 百年, "100 years", of something. As for the last two characters (right to left), I deciphered them as 明洽, which is probably incorrect. The reason I say this is because searching for 明洽百年 yields very little, and I guess it would mean "100 years Akira Hiroshi", which sounds like a man's name. If it really said "Akira Hiroshi", and the man was worth making a coin for, I would think I would find more.

Now, one thing to consider is that, if it really is a 100 year anniversary commemorative coin, then it is in reference to 100 years prior to the date on the coin, which is 1967. If you search "1867 Japan" you will find that it was a relatively important year in Japan. Thus, the subject matter of the coin might be a celebration of the events leading up to the Meiji Restoration.

Just a thought.

-mcl

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Did you search the Zeno oriental coins database under japan? Zeno - Oriental Coins Database - Main Index

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Search under Far East/Japan/Machine Struck or Tokens or Medals http://www.zeno.ru/



If you cant find it you can send them a photo front and back per instructions and they will ID it for you.

 

[Punatic]

Hmmmm....how can we call it unique before we even know what it is? Anyway, interesting piece. I don't know where you would go for a reference on Japanese medals. Its a neat piece, and its silver, all cool.

I only label it as unique after over an hour of scouring all iterations I could think of in regards to this piece...

Thanks for all the tips. I'm away from home so will have to wait to scan for this site. My pics are clear and good but don't meet their requirements.

If anyone else has some knowledge on this piece let me know thanks!

 

[cudamark]

What size is it? Looks like a drink coaster to me.

 

[Punatic]

No it's about the size of a half dollar, thicker but same relative size

 

[nhbenz]

I believe the front is of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. They were married in 1869, which doesn't exactly line up with a centennial, but still the resemblance has me convinced. 1867 was the end of the Shogun rule.

 

[Crispin]

I'm not so sure it is silver. Very little signs of oxidation...unless you cleaned it. In the third picture something is going on at the right edge of the coin. Can you get a close up of that, might help me identify the metal.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I'm not so sure it is silver. Very little signs of oxidation...unless you cleaned it. In the third picture something is going on at the right edge of the coin. Can you get a close up of that, might help me identify the metal.

Well there is no oxidation because its non-dug. He said he purchased it at an estate sale. It always helps to read the replies. As nhbenz stated in reply #2, its clearly engraved with the Japanese silver fineness assay mark and makers mark. I think there is little doubt that its Japanese silver.

 

[trikikiwi]

I'm not so sure it is silver. Very little signs of oxidation...unless you cleaned it. In the third picture something is going on at the right edge of the coin. Can you get a close up of that, might help me identify the metal.

nhbenz has already identified that it carries the Silver mark in his post above.
"It does appear to be a Japanese silver mark: Maker mark, assay mark: japanese flag and (silver fineness): 1000 within rhomb silver hallmark. Hallmarks www.h.cx. "

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I only label it as unique after over an hour of scouring all iterations I could think of in regards to this piece...

We have discovered here at TN that even common foreign collectibles are not easy to ID. The Gonji stones were a good example. The identification went on for many months on a very common item. Im not saying yours is common. Im just saying that foreign items, especially from the Far East or Asia are hard to identify.

 

[david680]

I think mcl and nhbenz are on the right track here. It seems to fit.

 

[Punatic]

It is solid and heavy. I would be shocked if it wasn't silver. I've searched high and low and can't find a comp...anyone else have some luck?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

It is solid and heavy. I would be shocked if it wasn't silver. I've searched high and low and can't find a comp...anyone else have some luck?

I have found in the past its almost impossible to search Japanese, Korean or Chinese. Are we certain of the translation? Why is the date not in Japanese?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I believe the front is of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. They were married in 1869, which doesn't exactly line up with a centennial, but still the resemblance has me convinced. 1867 was the end of the Shogun rule.

Dont know who the other 5 guys are but this is a big clue found by nhbenz. Meiji Centenary? Stamps, Coins and Banknotes Auctions

 

[sutphin]

MR, AND MRS. CORNFUSIOUS.