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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;springfld.arsenal, post: 9494860, member: 54&quot;]Please see if you can identify/decipher this symbol.&nbsp; It was carved into a small bronze cannon by Taiping rebels in China ca. 1860.&nbsp; The rebels captured the cannon from Qing imperial forces during the Taiping Rebellion.&nbsp; We’ve spent many hours unsuccessfully trying to identify this symbol.&nbsp; 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.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Images:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/d348DwH731" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/d348DwH731" rel="nofollow">https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/d348DwH731</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Taiping Rebellion info:&nbsp; <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Heavenly_Kingdom" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Heavenly_Kingdom" rel="nofollow">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Heavenly_Kingdom</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>‘Deciphering the Chinese Mystery Cannon,” Revision 2, of 7/22/23</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Here we have the small cannon’s composite translation, roughly, but not always, in the order appearing on the cannon.&nbsp; Below text includes bits sent by six people with diverse backgrounds, including two professors.&nbsp; These generous contributors have mentioned the archaic language causing difficulty.&nbsp; Some can read the characters but their meaning is not clear.&nbsp;&nbsp; Here’s a video showing cannon and characters:&nbsp; [MEDIA=youtube]5P80pufPaCs[/MEDIA]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>-The cannon was produced in 1843 during the reign of Qing Emperor Daoguang (r. 1820—1850). (2d: 道光 二十三年)</p><p><br /></p><p>-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.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>-The cannon contains zinc of some 88 grams (two liang &lt;some 80 grams&gt; and two qian &lt;some 8 grams&gt;) (4a: 鉛子二兩二錢).&nbsp; {A Professor helping with this translation suggested the zinc may have been added to harden the alloy}</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>-Chief Production Officers - “Qing Ma, Kui Yu, Jilin zhou”</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>-Serial number 32 (天寧第三十二號) and work supervisor Ma Hing (馬慶).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>-&quot;eat a liang (old Chinese ounce) of pure medicine&quot; as meaning &quot;charge the cannon with a liang of gunpowder for a shot (fire).&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Note on the large, crudely-carved symbols near muzzle:&nbsp; Front symbol may be a rendering of the Taiping coat-of-arms.&nbsp; This symbol indicates the cannon was captured by Taiping forces from the original Qing owners.&nbsp; Next Symbol resembling a trident may represent some unit or office within Taiping Army {speculation only}.&nbsp; Here are still photos of the cannon and characters on it:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/1516q55G57" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/1516q55G57" rel="nofollow">https://www.flickr.com/photos/189102681@N07/shares/1516q55G57</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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