Geocoin... or wacky talisman? Sorry, duh moment.

[+directionaldisaster]

Hello! I was just looking through my swag bag and I found this chunky 1.5" or so medallion of sorts. I don't  remember seeing it before, but It's possible one of my nieces put it in there. What is it? The back is blank, but not flat. There's a ridge around the edge. Any ideas? Thank you?

[+Isonzo Karst]

It's not a Geocaching.com trackable, as it lacks the language,  “Trackable on Geocaching.com" or “Track on Geocaching.com”, and of course, no tracking number. 

 

I don't know what it is, or is trying to be.  The central division into 7 is an oddity.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Isonzo Karst

[RuideAlmeida]

Without the text "Trackable at www.geocaching.com", it is not a geocoin at all.

[+directionaldisaster]

Okay. I didn't think was, but it can't hurt to ask. Hmm... I wonder what it is then? Maybe it was meant to be etched on the back side.

[+kunarion]

38 minutes ago, directionaldisaster said:

Okay. I didn't think was, but it can't hurt to ask. Hmm... I wonder what it is then? Maybe it was meant to be etched on the back side.

 

It looks like a cabochon, a metal craft bezel that would hold a round item which could be anything from a semi-precious stone to a piece of paper.  People make inexpensive jewelry using a painted or printed and sized circle of paper, securing it in place, then pouring clear craft resin over it to form a shallow dome.  Or they use an acrylic or glass cover of the correct size.  I have similar things that I use for Signature Items, some pre-made.

 

I don't know what language that is, or what the symbols are for.  Maybe just decoration.

[+colleda]

Looks like inscriptions from various cultures. There are some Greek symbols. Sorority medallion?

[+Isonzo Karst]

Ku nailed it. That's a cabonchon mount, bezel.   I suspect the decorations are pseudo zodiac/  Egypt / Greek .... some made up stuff to look cool. ;-)

[+TriciaG]

To me, the back looks convex rather than concave. If so, how could something be mounted on it?

 

Probably just a cool medallion of sorts?

[+and1969]

2 hours ago, Isonzo Karst said:

Ku nailed it. That's a cabonchon mount, bezel.   I suspect the decorations are pseudo zodiac/  Egypt / Greek .... some made up stuff to look cool. ;-)

 

It is in a very similar style to the Phaistos Disc but the symbols are different. Some of the symbols are reminiscent of the StarGate franchise for example as found on the "dial home devices", especially the two outer rings, and the series had the premise that ancient human cultures had varying amounts of extraterrestrial contact/influence. If so, that would make it less than 30 years old.

I would still get it checked out in case it is older. Either way it is a very nice piece of swag

[+NYPaddleCacher]

The item has already been identified but it looked like some souvenir chinese coins I'm seen at a local dollar store that is run by the same people as the Chinese restaurant next door.  They're not real coins but they are about the size of a large silver dollar but have Chinese writing on them and are strictly a souvenir item.   I have a few real chinese coins and quite small denomination bills.

[+TmdAndGG]

 

On 4/18/2020 at 1:01 PM, directionaldisaster said:

What is it?

It's apparently a copy of "The Divining Disc of Pergamon"... I love solving mysteries like these!

Edited April 19, 2020 by TmdAndGG
Added important information

[+TeamRabbitRun]

22 hours ago, TmdAndGG said:

 

It's apparently a copy of "The Divining Disc of Pergamon"... I love solving mysteries like these!

 

 

Awesome - how did you track it down?

[+ecanderson]

Google's picture matching is pretty awesome.

Alternately, if you're a total archeology geek, you'd likely be able to locate the 1899 find of the whole "Pergamon kit" that included this item.

[+TmdAndGG]

4 hours ago, TeamRabbitRun said:

Awesome - how did you track it down?

Reveal my secret weapon? Never! OK, I'll admit that I used a reverse image search (not google though) to track it down.

[+ecanderson]

Aw, c'mon.  Google isn't perfect, though it's been my go-to for years.  If you've got another good source, give it up!

[+directionaldisaster]

Ding ding ding! You got it!  I'm sorry, I forgot to come back and update this post. My dad did a reverse image search on this Yandex site and it helped a bit. I took it from there. Yes It's a replica of a Divining Disc from Pergamon. The original was found as part of a kit and is now housed in  museum in Berlin. How Cool! It was used to summon Oracles/Soothsayers. I think the cool factor has just jumped up by 1000% I LOVE this type of stuff! Haha, two people offered to buy it from me of of Imgur before I knew exactly what it was.

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/oracle-apparatus-pergamon-unknown/BgG9By7tfjJXVw

[+TmdAndGG]

11 hours ago, ecanderson said:

Aw, c'mon.  Google isn't perfect, though it's been my go-to for years.  If you've got another good source, give it up!

@directionaldisaster might have just revealed one of my weapons. But luckily, I still have another one in my super secret array left.

[+BG2015]

I've been carrying around something like that as well and can't seem to figure out what it is.  Any sleuths with an idea?

 

[+directionaldisaster]

8 hours ago, BG2015 said:

I've been carrying around something like that as well and can't seem to figure out what it is.  Any sleuths with an idea?

 

Is that both sides of the piece? Are there any marks on it anywhere? I'll look it up in a minute. It's cool!

[+TmdAndGG]

22 hours ago, BG2015 said:

Any sleuths with an idea?

Nada...

[+directionaldisaster]

I tried too. I came up empty handed