SERVE INTERNATIONAL token (UPDATE: e-mail returned)

[Texasgopher]

Hey guys, does anybody know what this is. Of course it is some kind of token but if anybody has some info of who would have issued it or anything I would appreciate it! It was found with a pocket spill at the base of a tree and was just barely under the grass which is why it looks so good I'm guessing. I'm glad I found it in the grass cause if I had dug this and It still had its gold color I would have started to freak out! It looks feels really solid to be a random token. If the pic isn't clear enough the token has written on it:

1988 SERVE INTERNATIONAL
ATLANTA GA

The symbols look Chinese or Japanese but I don't know. Also don't know which way is up or down on the back.

Thanks,
TG

P.S. I haven't even googled it yet cause I wanted to let you guys take a crack at it first. If nobody has made an ID by tomorrow I'll join in the hunt too.



Update below

 

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[trikikiwi]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Weird
Great Pics
I am interested in seeing what anyone else has to say.
Mike

 

[chipveres]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Serve International is a religious outfit in Atlanta. You can find out more about them at www.kingdomprayer.org .

Chip V.

 

[DCMatt]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Serve International is a religious outfit in Atlanta. You can find out more about them at www.kingdomprayer.org .

Chip V.

As Chip says:
___________________________
Operation Serve® International (OSI) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization. OSI is a non-denominational ministry established in 1983 with a passion to extend the Kingdom of God on earth through serving the poor & needy as well as train indigenous pastors & leaders.
____________________________

At first I thought the characters were fantasy, but they appear to be stylized Japanese/Chinese kanji. The one on the back could stand for America or rice.

I can't figure out the one on the front.

DCMatt

 

[Texasgopher]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Interesting, Thanks everybody. I think I'm going to try and contact the organization and see if I can find out more about it. What was it made for? etc.



TG

 

[willie d]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Serve International is a religious outfit in Atlanta. You can find out more about them at www.kingdomprayer.org .

Chip V.

As Chip says:
___________________________
Operation Serve® International (OSI) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) humanitarian organization. OSI is a non-denominational ministry established in 1983 with a passion to extend the Kingdom of God on earth through serving the poor & needy as well as train indigenous pastors & leaders.
____________________________

At first I thought the characters were fantasy, but they appear to be stylized Japanese/Chinese kanji. The one on the back could stand for America or rice.

I can't figure out the one on the front.

DCMatt

Interesting find.

Just don't drink the kool-aid.

 

[Texasgopher]

Re: SERVE INTERNATIONAL token

Well, I haven't heard back from the organization yet. Probably too busy. I don't think I'll post it solved yet because what I was really wanting to know was what the letters meant and what it was made for. Does that sound fair to everybody? I did look at the organizations website really well but there was nothing about the token. If I hear back form them I'll let y'all know. If anybody has anymore info please share!


TG

 

[Texasgopher]

I got a very nice reply from the organization. I'll post the e-mails in a little while I need to ask Jeff of PA something first.



TG

 

[Texasgopher]

I got the OK from Jeff. Here it is.

I guess I'll also post this as solved, altough I still want to know what it was made for





Hi, my name is texasgopher and I have an interesting question. My hobby is metal detecting and I recently found a token that says:

1988 SERVE INTERNATIONAL ATLANTA. GA

It is gold colored and about the size of a quarter. It also has a Chinese or Japanese letter on the front and back.

I was wondering if this item is associated with your organization? I can send pictures if you would like. It is always in a treasure hunter’s nature to identify what it is he has found. Any info would be appreciated.


Thank you, texasgopher


responce


texasgopher,



From your description, you have found a coin related to what we call the ancient Chinese secret of how to live forever. When I discovered this “secret” my life was transformed. Years ago in Hong Kong an elderly Chinese man explained to me that the Chinese language is composed of pictographs that form ideograms. The two characters on the coin can be literally translated “come” and “believe.” The character “come” dates from the bone inscription that can be dated around 1400 B. C. It pictures a great man dying on a tree between two ordinary men. “Believe” is a picture of a person standing by his word, even when no one else stands with him. This character can also mean “letter” because it pictures a person who believes so strongly that he is willing to put what he believes in writing and standing by his word. These two characters are the same in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean. I will be happy to discus this further with you if you are interested.



Archie Parrish

President

Serve International

 

[Texasgopher]

Pretty cool...


It's neat to see a path from a found item to the person (well, TYPE of person in this case) who lost it.


lol.... sounds like he is trying to "recruit you"

I can't help but wonder if THIS is the reason for those coins...

Lol, yeah I kinda got that vibe from him. I just e-mailed him back actually and asked if he knew exactly what they were made for. I even asked him if it was part of some promotional thing. But I'm thinking your right Spooky or at least on the right track.


TG

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

So whats the secret of life? I wonder if these quarter size tokens will work in a pay phone, parking meter or vending machine?

 

[DCMatt]

So whats the secret of life? I wonder if these quarter size tokens will work in a pay phone, parking meter or vending machine?

This might work in a pay phone if you're dialing 1-800-GET-SAVED. Call NOW! Operators are standing by.

Here are images of "believe" and "come" characters in kanji. In conjunction with a story, these characters make some sense. However, without the context of the story they would not have much meaning.

So, once again I have proven to the Tnet community that may ability to read kanji sucks...

DCMatt

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Years ago, I was forced to use a Spanish Reale to make a phone call because that was all I had in my pocket... True story. The old payphones would take almost anything.