Hi Ralf T,
That was quick - and you nailed it exactly.
I used your information, translated it into my book's
style of
Chinese and came up with it being a copy of Cresswell 89 Hsiang Fu T'ung Pao 1008AD - 1016Ad. With that information I found the link:
http://www.numismall.com/acc/Rare-tin-Zhi-Dao-Yuan-Bao-Chinese-style-cash-issued-ca.1000-1100-AD-Malaysia.html which gives a lot more information - but it finally
comes down to the fact that not much is known of them. see below:
"Fascinating Chinese-style Xiang Fu
Yuan Bao / Boo Chiowan cash imitating both Song and Qing dynasty
Chinese coins, issued ca.18th century, Indonesia
Four crude
Chinese characters (regular script) Xiang Fu
Yuan Bao / Manchu characters Boo Chiowan. 25mm, 4.19 grams. Issued in the 18th century or slightly later. Not properly studied and seems unpublished.
cf. Zeno #52047 / 82628 / 83465.
The
reverse is
cast at 90 degree left.
The
obverse of these coins is copied from the Xiang Fu
Yuan Bao cash produced by Emperor Zhen Zong (998-1022) of the Northern Song dynasty. The Manchu
reverse is copied from the Qing dynasty cash from the Board of Revenue
mint. These very
rare and unusual coins are found in Indonesia, though (very strangely) it seems that a few coins of this
type were unearthed in the Lugansk
area in Ukraine (see
Zeno #81628 and 83465). The coins are very crudely produced and
cast in tin or brass
alloy of some sorts. The coins were never properly researched and remain very
rare. We do not know which of the Indonesian (or possibly Malaysia) Kingdoms produced these coins."
I
had already gone right through Cresswell and couldn't find a match that I thought was close.
Thank you for your
help - it is very much appreciated.
All the best,
Col