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        New Message Board Archives >> 2004 Posts >> Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
        
(Message started by: Samantha_Smith on Jul 16^th, 2004, 10:48am)

Title: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Samantha_Smith on Jul 16^th, 2004, 10:48am

Hello! I was wondering if anyone could help me. My husband and I like to collect world and US coins. He gives me all the ones that he cannot easily identify and then I spend varying amounts of time trying to properly identify the tough ones. Normally it takes about 1 - 2 hours to track down the country of origin. This last one he gave me is driving me totally insane. I've dumped at least 6 hours into it. I've googled, yahooed, webbed, imaged, and newsgrouped this coin.

Sorry we have no web cam but I'll try to explain it. I think the coin is either Southern Korean (it does have korean characters and sort of looks like the 1 won) but it may be Japanese. It has no demonimation printed on it. There is a round hole in the center. The coin itself it round also. There are 2 roses of sharon on one side. I think its probably brass mixed with another metal. Its about 2 cm in diameter.Probably from 20th century but maybe late 1800's.

Please help me before me brain explodes or I have a CH. I've scoped out every major and minor Japanese, Korean, Thai, Tibetan, and Vietnamese website and no hits at all. Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Samanatha

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by notseinfeld on Jul 16^th, 2004, 4:34pm

Sammy--
I didn't see an ebay search in the multitudes you listed. It's usually a good place to start plus it gives you an idea of the value if you search under 'closed auction gallery'.

Good Luck!

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by echo on Jul 16^th, 2004, 5:02pm

on 07/16/04 at 10:48:37, Samantha_Smith wrote:

I think the coin is either Southern Korean (it does have korean characters and sort of looks like the 1 won) but it may be Japanese. It has no demonimation printed on it. There is a round hole in the center. The coin itself it round also. .Probably from 20th century but maybe late 1800's.

Samanatha

I think the coin is called a "whogee". The hole is called a "pucker'. Therefore you have a "whogeepucker". Used for the purchase of sprigs or laters., now commonly refered to as "Sprigulater".
Worth about a wowzee.

Now you can say you have a "whogeepucker sprigulator" and be the first kid on the block to be able to do so. Neat - Huh.

Hope that helped.

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by ave on Jul 16^th, 2004, 5:05pm

Also check out India, Sri Lanka.

O, and Israel.

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Prense on Jul 16^th, 2004, 5:18pm

Hrmmmm, sounds similar to a brass 5 yen from the mid 60's. 1963 perhaps? It's a round coin with a round hole in the middle. When they are tarnished, they look bronze in color.

If I recall correctly, they are not quite 2cm in diameter and have two rice stalks on one side with two oriental characters under the hole on the same side. Not sure if the writing is Kanji, Katakana or Hiragana though.

Anyway, this coin came to the top of my head from reading your post, although I am probably not correct. (rice stalks are not roses of sharon)

Let me know when you find out... You have me curious.

Chris

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Samantha_Smith on Jul 16^th, 2004, 6:05pm

Thanks everyone! We have a book collector's Bible of sorts called "Collecting World Coins: 1901-present". I been thru every page and no matches.

Notseinfeld--Ebay was a total bust. Sorry. Maybe I'll check again.

Ave- I checked India-British, India-Republic, Sri (Shri) Lanka, and Israel and nothing came even close. Thanks though!!! The characters on this coin are definitely Korean.

Echo--Are you one of the people in the shroom study?

Prense--No these definitely aren't rice stalks they are "roses of sharon" that appear on the 1 won's (aka 10 hwan's) of 1966 and 1967 South Korean Reform coinage which were made of brass---but that coin doesn't have a hole in the center. The 2 characters on the obverse of the 1 won are the 2 characters on my "mystery" coin. But unlike the official 1 won the obverse of this coin is split into 3 sections--two sections have roses of sharon and the other has the 2 characters.

BUT on the reverse of my coin are some more mystery characters that I cannot identify. On the reverse there are 4 characters (maybe Korean maybe not???) and then there is an interlocking swirly pattern wrapping around the rest of the coin. I have checked my "Standard International Numerical Systems" and these characters are not on the list at all---for ANY country. (BTW Do I sound like a TOTAL geek now???) I am assuming that perhaps they are aphabetical characters but who knows.

The whole in the middle (hey remember the Lifesavers commercial--"there's only one candy with the hole in the middle"?) is definitely purposeful and well made--not like someone tried to poke it in order to make it into a piece of jewelry.

Out of total frustration I went to the public library to find the 1800's version of "Collecting Coins" with the hopes that it will show up in there. Its on back order.

I have also investigated "tokens", "fantasy money", "opium coins", etc and no matches, but I didn't spend to much time on that avenue.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!! I will not give up. I will not give in. I will be totally obsessed with this round object that has a hole in the middle! Samantha

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Opus on Jul 16^th, 2004, 7:20pm

Find someone with a scanner and then find someone to post the pics, I can do that need be, the posting part. A visual wpold help a lot.

Opus/Paul

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by notseinfeld on Jul 17^th, 2004, 12:26am

Hey, look at the bright side---thinking actually burns calories! You'll probably drop a solid 5 pounds on this venture, iffn you need to.

Coins are a social construct control method.

Oh, and I know you don't have a dig-camera but a pic would be worth its weight in gold, perhaps.

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Samantha_Smith on Jul 17^th, 2004, 2:20pm

http://homepage.mac.com/perelandra777/graphics/coin1.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/perelandra777/graphics/coin2.jpg
Here's the obverse and reverse of the mystery coin. Any help in identifying it would be appreciated. Thanks! Sam

Title: Re: Any coin collectors here? Need help!!!
Post by Prense on Jul 18^th, 2004, 7:12pm

The writing definitely looks Korean. I'm still looking...

Meanwhile, maybe this forum can help you out.

http://www.cointalk.org/forumdisplay.php?f=11

Good luck!

Chris