Vintage Repro of Ming 1500s Coin, Bronze Chinese Coin Charm

A small bronze coin with a square heart; the old cash form that once strung onto silk and meant luck, prosperity, a little weight in the pocket. Characters and a zodiac ring circle the hole. A reproduction of a Chinese "cash coin" charm, specifically the famous Zhengde Tongbao (正德通寶) type. The square hole in a round coin is the classic Chinese cash format used for roughly two thousand years (round = heaven, square = earth), and the 正 character you can see is from Zheng De (正德), the reign title of the Ming dynasty Zhengde Emperor (r. 1506–1521). So the era it references is early 16th century Ming China.

During the Zhengde reign the Ming government had largely shifted to paper money, so relatively few real "Zhengde Tongbao" circulating coins were cast. Instead, huge numbers of Zhengde charms (numismatic charms, not spendable coins) were produced (mostly in the Qing dynasty and later) cast with the auspicious Zhengde reign title and given as good-luck gifts, often to children. Legend tied them to the Zhengde Emperor, who folklore says wandered his empire in disguise; the charms picked up a reputation for protecting travelers crossing water, warding off evil, and bringing luck in gambling and prosperity.

A mid century reproduction of the traditional Chinese cash coin, cast in bronze.

Estimated era: circa 1950s. Roughly 60 to 70 years old, read from the casting and the aged patina, verified by the seller (coin collector in Tokyo).

Dimensions: 1.25” across.

Carrying the soft patina that only time can give; significant flaws are always detailed above.