Token Collection thumbnail 1
Token Collection thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Token Collection

19th century (made)
Place of origin

1 small box containing 36 tokens made of porcelain, stoneware, or glass, Chinese or Japanese, mainly 19th century. The tokens vary in diameter from ½ inch to 1 inch, and in thickness from 1/8 inch to ¼ inch. The majority are circular; others are hexagonal or octagonal; one is oval. The material is white or yellowish porcelain of varying quality, except for two grey stoneware and one of green glass. Though four are quite plain, the majority have Chinese or Japanese characters on them painted in blue, incised, or stamped in relief. In addition to the inscriptions, a few ornamental motives appear – a crab, a tiger, a fish, and a relief head of the young Queen Victoria, perhaps taken from an English coin or postage stamp.


Object details

Object type
Parts
This object consists of 36 parts.

  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
  • Token
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Thirty-six tokens, porcelain, stoneware or glass, China or Japan, 19th century
Physical description
1 small box containing 36 tokens made of porcelain, stoneware, or glass, Chinese or Japanese, mainly 19th century. The tokens vary in diameter from ½ inch to 1 inch, and in thickness from 1/8 inch to ¼ inch. The majority are circular; others are hexagonal or octagonal; one is oval. The material is white or yellowish porcelain of varying quality, except for two grey stoneware and one of green glass. Though four are quite plain, the majority have Chinese or Japanese characters on them painted in blue, incised, or stamped in relief. In addition to the inscriptions, a few ornamental motives appear – a crab, a tiger, a fish, and a relief head of the young Queen Victoria, perhaps taken from an English coin or postage stamp.
Credit line
Given by Mr Francis Buckley
Collection
Accession number
C.208:1 to 36-1939

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Record createdJune 25, 2009
Record URL
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