Chinese Numismatics in Research 華夏泉貨彙考

Unknown Tibetan Item

I have posted here with an interesting bronze item. This item is unknown to me. Style of this nice item seems to be Tibetan or Indian. Possibly, it is some sort of the fantasy coin with unknown background. I purchased it from a fellow collector last month. I see that the scripts of this unknown item is very close to the Nepalese or Tibetan character, but the scripts seem the same on the both sides with three horizontal strokes

Marks of Rareness of the Collected Currencies
Extremely Rare A ~ Very Rare B ~ Rare C ~ Not So Many D ~ Common E

Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 378
		Diam. 24.4 mm
		Wt. 6.2 g.
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity		Rareness ?
Do you know anything about this item?

I post below is an email received from Mr.P.K. on SUN, 29 June 2008. The email is self-explanatory. Thanks indeed!

Unknown Tibetan Item (posted June 16, 2008)
SUN, 29 June 2008 11:23
P K

Hi Ken,

I saw your request for info about the coin posted on June 16th and thought I'd reply.

The material - looks like a poorly mixed brass alloy and the weight are unusual for most normal circulating coinage. The inscriptions are Islamic. I also see a six petalled rosette. I believe the coin is a rebel issue from Chinese Turkistan or the Sinkiang region. As for the era, I'd guess probably 18th Century.

Regards,

Paul.

I post below are additional comments from my friends of which they are self explanatory. Thanks to my friends.

Dear YKL

I sent the scan of the coin to my friend in London, who is most probably the best expert on Tibetan coins, as well for Indian coins.

I noticed quickly this coin is not Tibetan, but has Arabic or Persian inscription..

Bue here is his comment.

Best regards

Gylfi

From: NR Date: 16 June 2008
To: Gylfi
Subject: RE: unknown coin

Dear Gylfi,
Thanks for the link to KYL's website - which I did not know of. The "coin" is basically an arabic coin-like object, probably made for cheap jewellery or similar - my guess would be Egypt r Turkey - rather than necessarily central asian, but I could be wrong.

Yours,

Regards

NR

Subject: unknown coin
Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008

Dear Nick, My friend in Hong Kong has a nice web site on Tibetan items.

I recently found this coin, which is obviously not of Tibetan orgin - I could be from Sinkiang or Kashmir, and perhaps from Indian Native State. Can you indetify this coin?

best regards

Gylfi

Additional information from Germany on 22nd December 2008:

Comments: Re. Unknown Tibetan Item

In the curio market of Shigatse I have seen about a dozen of these items in the late 1990s, all with a loop; they must have formed a necklace at some time. These pieces are not coins, although they have coin designs as a model, but items made by jewelers, most probably in northern India and reached Tibet by way of trade. They could also be vaguely related to Indian Islamic temple tokens.

W.Bertsch

Thanks Indeed ! and Season's Greetings ! ! !
to all my friends

Y K Leung

More about Tibitan coins

More about Tibitan Unknown Item II

Any additional comment would be much appreciated, you can send it to Y K Leung.