Period:Unknown Production date:19thC-20thC
Materials:gold
Technique:
Dimensions:Diameter: 21 millimetres Weight: 6.71 grammes
Description:
Gold coin/award associated with a Chinese secret society. Octagonal with a square hole in the centre. Modelled on the traditional Chinese ‘cash’ coins which were round with a square hole in the middle, with the inscription arranged as on the coins. The shape of this piece calls to mind the expression 四面八方 (si mian ba fang) literally meaning “four sides and eight directions” and thus implying “everywhere”. The inscription on the obverse follows the standard inscription found on Chinese coins (ie X X tong bao), but is not a coin inscription. The inscription on the reverse contains two acronyms/composite characters (the characters above and below the hole) which are unintelligible to most Chinese readers).
IMG
![图片[1]-coin; award BM-1983-1017.14-China Archive](https://chinaarchive.net/Unknown/Miscellaneous objects/mid_00980176_001.jpg)
Comments:This is a secret society piece, possibly issued by a local branch of the Hongshun Tang 洪顺堂. For further information about secret societies, see G. Schlegel, The Hung League (Batavia, 1866, and subsequent reprints); J.S.M. Ward and W.G. Stirling, The Hung Society, or the Society of Heaven on Earth, vol. 1 (London, 1925); and W.P. Morgan, Triad Societies in Hong Kong, 2nd ed. (Hong Kong, 1982). A similar piece, in silver, is published, and illustrated (fig.1) , in an article by Xu Yuan, 2013. The article says this silver piece appeared for sale at Beijing Hanhai (北京翰海) in May 2011, and was published by Yu Liuliang and Zhu Yongkun, 2012 (p. 289, no. 1381). XU Yuan, “Tiandihui ‘Hongying tongbao’ bajiaoxing yinqian kao”, in Qianbi bolan 77 (2013, no. 1), pp. 34-37 // 徐渊：《天地会‘洪英通宝’八角形银钱考》, 《钱币博览》 2013年第1期总77期）YU Liuliuang and ZHU Yongkun, “Zhongguo zhenxi qianbi tudian – guqian”, Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe, 2012 (p. 289, no. 1381) // 余榴梁、朱勇坤：《中国珍稀钱币图典：古钱》，上海科学技术出版社2012 年） For further info and background, see “The Ritual and Mythology of the Chinese Triads – Creating an Identity” by Barend J. Ter Haar (Brill 1998), ISBN 0169-9563.
Materials:gold
Technique:
Dimensions:Diameter: 21 millimetres Weight: 6.71 grammes
Description:
Gold coin/award associated with a Chinese secret society. Octagonal with a square hole in the centre. Modelled on the traditional Chinese ‘cash’ coins which were round with a square hole in the middle, with the inscription arranged as on the coins. The shape of this piece calls to mind the expression 四面八方 (si mian ba fang) literally meaning “four sides and eight directions” and thus implying “everywhere”. The inscription on the obverse follows the standard inscription found on Chinese coins (ie X X tong bao), but is not a coin inscription. The inscription on the reverse contains two acronyms/composite characters (the characters above and below the hole) which are unintelligible to most Chinese readers).
IMG
Comments:This is a secret society piece, possibly issued by a local branch of the Hongshun Tang 洪顺堂. For further information about secret societies, see G. Schlegel, The Hung League (Batavia, 1866, and subsequent reprints); J.S.M. Ward and W.G. Stirling, The Hung Society, or the Society of Heaven on Earth, vol. 1 (London, 1925); and W.P. Morgan, Triad Societies in Hong Kong, 2nd ed. (Hong Kong, 1982). A similar piece, in silver, is published, and illustrated (fig.1) , in an article by Xu Yuan, 2013. The article says this silver piece appeared for sale at Beijing Hanhai (北京翰海) in May 2011, and was published by Yu Liuliang and Zhu Yongkun, 2012 (p. 289, no. 1381). XU Yuan, “Tiandihui ‘Hongying tongbao’ bajiaoxing yinqian kao”, in Qianbi bolan 77 (2013, no. 1), pp. 34-37 // 徐渊：《天地会‘洪英通宝’八角形银钱考》, 《钱币博览》 2013年第1期总77期）YU Liuliuang and ZHU Yongkun, “Zhongguo zhenxi qianbi tudian – guqian”, Shanghai kexue jishu chubanshe, 2012 (p. 289, no. 1381) // 余榴梁、朱勇坤：《中国珍稀钱币图典：古钱》，上海科学技术出版社2012 年） For further info and background, see “The Ritual and Mythology of the Chinese Triads – Creating an Identity” by Barend J. Ter Haar (Brill 1998), ISBN 0169-9563.
© Copyright
The copyright of the article belongs to the author, please keep the original link for reprinting.
THE END
