China - Boxer Rebellion 1900

This coin is not an issue of the Taiping period. The "Fists of Righteous Harmony," or 'Boxers' as they were known in the west, rebelled against the foreigners and the Ch'ing (Qing) Dynasty at the turn of the last century (1900). The Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi manipulated them to concentrate their anger against the western powers greedily fighting over their portion of a weakened China and forcing trade concessions.
OB: shui lu ping an (r-l-t-b); Rx: at left - dao, a broadsword; at right - cha, a spear or pitch fork (both are common weapon used by the Boxers); at bottom - the Kan, one of the eight Ba-Gua (trigrams). This is sign of water. The Boxers rebellion (Yihetuan) has 8 main divisions, all based on the eight signs of Ba-Gua. Kan division was based in Tianjin (Tientsin); at top - the Big Dipper (The Ursa Major).
For the revealing article on the discovery of this authentic historical coin:
Boxer Rebellion Coin - Ma Chuan De: [ link ]
For a concise history of the end of thousands of years of Chinese dynastic rule go to this web link:
[ link ]
I have not found this interesting piece in Hartill. Jen (p. 177, #903) has a bit of info on it. While some numismatists claim it is a coin of the Boxers, others contend it is a charm issued by merchants. The obverse legend (Seal script) says "Shui Lu Ping An", which means 'safe passage by land and sea.' Another writer's interpretation is: "Ping Shui An Lu" in archaic seal script, literally "peaceful water tranquil land", but more poetically as "may there be peace and safety at sea and on land".
This would indicate a Boxer origin as well as the reverse which features one of the eight trigrams (water) and weapons used and demonstrated by the Boxers. Another view is that, since the Boxers were peasant farmers using martial arts, the weapons or farm tools were the ones that their religion said they were immune from. More research needs to be done on these.
Brass, 26mm; 8.16 gm
The following from a Steve Album auction [Sept. 2019, Lot 1680]:
QING: Yihetuan (Boxer) Rebellion, 1899-1900, AE charm , Zeno-216702, shui lu ping an // auspicious symbols, Fine, RR. The inscription, written in seal script, reads "shui lu ping an" which literally means "may you have peace by land and water" or, more simply, "I wish you a safe journey." The reverse side has an unusual mix of Chinese charm symbols. Above the square hole are seven dots connected by a zigzag line which represents the star constellation known as the "Big Dipper". Below the hole is one of the "eight trigrams" (bagua). This is the trigram "kan" which represents "water" and the direction "north." To the left and right of the hole are ancient Chinese blade weapons. The weapon depicted to the left of the square hole has particular significance. It is a guan dao or "Green Dragon Crescent Blade." The notch in the blade was to catch and parry the enemy's weapon. The weapon to the right of the center hole is known as a "Trident." It was primarily used as a hunting weapon, but one which could also be thrown. The "Righteous Fists of Harmony" became the "Righteous Harmony Society" and adopted the slogan "support the Qing, destroy the Foreign." The group believed that a mixture of the martial arts, spirit possession, and swords would make them invulnerable to guns. This ragtag army became known as the "Boxers" and the uprising is referred to as the 'Boxer Rebellion." The rebellion, however, was ultimately put down by the combined forces of eight foreign countries. This Chinese charm dates from this same time period and is believed by some to have been a secret "badge" carried by members of the Boxers.