Hong Wu?

[statmatics]

I am not very good at this. Hong Wu Tong Bao? with Boo Ciowan? Can't find in Hartill, CoinArchives, or Krause. Help ID please. -- Paul R

[Figleaf]

Haven't found these characters all on one coin. I am suspicious of the lowest part of the right mongol character complex; it should have a sharp angle and not be rounded. It is hard to be sure from a picture, but the piece looks struck to me. All in all, I'd go for a (better than usual) modern tourist souvenir.

Peter

[statmatics]

Yeah. It's not on Zeno either. Could it be classified as a 'fantasy piece?' The notation 'fantasy' has always meant to me 'fake.' Value is near zero, right?

[bgriff99]

It's a fantasy piece.   I have no idea why anyone would go to the trouble of making it.

[statmatics]

Thanks again. -- Paul R

[Figleaf]

Fantasy and fake are different animals. There is a genuine coin that inspired a fake. A fantasy is just that. A figment of someone's imagination.

Some decades ago, such fantasies were produced (even in plastic) in China and Taiwan and sold attached to a piece of carton in cheap carton boxes. I was told they were for "good luck", a catchall for all kinds of useless stuff. Being a tourist, I knowingly went for the tourist bait. So did the burglars.

Peter

[statmatics]

We you robbed? That's scary.

The finalized page on this fantasy piece appears here: http://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins?main_coin=20617

[bgriff99]

Speaking of plastic, that's what this item looks like.   

[Figleaf]

I think it has too many colour shades to be plastic. I would believe bone, though and I have seen such fantasies. They look very good, but the weight is of course far off.

Thanks for the link, Paul.

Peter