White Copper Mountain Ghost Coin Tag, with Chain

The tag is round, with a narrow ridge round the rim and a flat field inside it. A square hole is set at the centre, with raised lines on its four sides, following the old coin convention. In the hand three kinds of line arrive at once, circle, square and ridge, and the eye goes first to the square hole, then out a circuit. The thickness is even and the rim ridge is pressed low, so it does not scrape. The talisman takes up most of the front; there are no ruled lines between characters, and the momentum of the column holds them.

Flower coins were cast by the folk, not for spending, which is why they are called yansheng or yasheng coins. Such pieces go back to the Han, became common after the Song and peaked in the Qing, their content running from auspicious phrases and zodiac animals to bagua and spells. The casting was the same as for circulating coin, sand casting, but it did not pass through the mint, and most were privately cast, so uneven depth of cut is normal. Moulds wore with use, and early and late batches from the same pattern differ in the weight of the strokes.

Among flower coins the mountain ghost is one of the best known. Its fixed form is a talisman on one face and bagua on the other; the talisman belongs to the thunder rites, heavy at the opening and hooked at the close. People used to sew it into a child’s lapel, and some hung it behind a door. Such uses are recorded in scattered local gazetteers and notebooks; the origin is unclear, but the spread was wide. The bagua lines on the back are raised and can be felt, and the raised parts brighten first with wear.

This version includes a chain, a Chopin with a lobster clasp. Three other options are available: a floating box for packaging, an adjustable sandalwood cloud cord, and the tag on its own. Buyers of the set are mostly giving it away, box and chain together, so that the recipient need not match anything. The single tag suits anyone who already has a chain and swaps fittings without waste. The floating box is lined with black velvet and the tag is suspended in the middle, so that it moves when you tilt the box.

The square hole is the thinnest part of the plaque and distorts if knocked, and once distorted the circle is no longer a circle. Hang it so that the plaque lies flat, and do not let it share a ring with keys. The dark surface is an oxide layer; polish it off and it brightens, and in time it returns. To slow the darkening, wipe the sweat off with a dry cloth after wearing and put it in a bag rather than leaving it out. If the edge of the square hole has a burr, roll a strip of fine abrasive paper into a tube and turn it lightly twice, not a file.