what is this japan?

[Thorne]

It has the same markings as the sen and yen but no numerals. Please help

 

[Joe777Cool]

pretty sure its chinese, late 1930's early 1940's

 

[Joe777Cool]

½ Fen - China - Republic - Numista

Chinese 1/2 Fen, 1936-39

 

[Thorne]

Thanks. I have like 7 coins from the same era for from a great grandfather who taught in the war. If I post here will you help me figure then out?

 

[Mackaydon]

In China, (back in the day.....)many tools were traded such as knives and ploughs, and in particular the shovel became a popular barter object. A rich man had a whole row of shovels on his land which were, in fact, not used to work the land but served purely as a means of trade. Smithies made additional shovels which became progressively smaller: these were not handy for digging, but extremely handy for bartering. At a given moment, the shovels had become as small as a present-day coin. Then finally somebody came up with the idea of making them round. The abstraction was complete. What you have is a coin that commemorates (by its image) the Chinese shovel used in the historical bartering system.
Your coin's educational and historic value far exceeds its numismatic value.
Don.........

 

[unclemac]

https://www.google.com/search?q=chi...WHogTu7IH4CA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=899

look around here

 

[Joe777Cool]

I'll help if I can.