Mystery symbol challenge

Please see if you can identify/decipher this symbol. It was carved into a small bronze cannon by Taiping rebels in China ca. 1860. The rebels captured the cannon from Qing imperial forces during the Taiping Rebellion. We’ve spent many hours unsuccessfully trying to identify this symbol. Here are two images, one an actual color photo of the symbol with actual bronze background, and one with a purified off-white background, more suited to image-matching.



Images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/d348DwH731



Taiping Rebellion info: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Heavenly_Kingdom



‘Deciphering the Chinese Mystery Cannon,” Revision 2, of 7/22/23



Here we have the small cannon’s composite translation, roughly, but not always, in the order appearing on the cannon. Below text includes bits sent by six people with diverse backgrounds, including two professors. These generous contributors have mentioned the archaic language causing difficulty. Some can read the characters but their meaning is not clear. Here’s a video showing cannon and characters:



-The cannon was produced in 1843 during the reign of Qing Emperor Daoguang (r. 1820—1850). (2d: 道光 二十三年)

-The cannon was manufactured and/or owned by Viceroy of Zhili, Nerginggae. (2e: 直隸總督 訥爾經額, r. 1841--1853) cf. The viceroy of Zhili administered today’s Hebei and Henan provinces, Tianjin, and some area of the Shandong Peninsula.

-The cannon contains zinc of some 88 grams (two liang <some 80 grams> and two qian <some 8 grams>) (4a: 鉛子二兩二錢). {A Professor helping with this translation suggested the zinc may have been added to harden the alloy}



-Chief Production Officers - “Qing Ma, Kui Yu, Jilin zhou”



-Serial number 32 (天寧第三十二號) and work supervisor Ma Hing (馬慶).



-"eat a liang (old Chinese ounce) of pure medicine" as meaning "charge the cannon with a liang of gunpowder for a shot (fire)."



Note on the large, crudely-carved symbols near muzzle: Front symbol may be a rendering of the Taiping coat-of-arms. This symbol indicates the cannon was captured by Taiping forces from the original Qing owners. Next Symbol resembling a trident may represent some unit or office within Taiping Army {speculation only}. Here are still photos of the cannon and characters on it: https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/1516q55G57