Item number: A114

Year: ND

Material: Aluminium

Size: 22.53 x 22.57 mm

Weight: 1.55 g

Provenance:

1. Noonans 2022

2. D. L. F. Sealy Collection

This is an aluminium token, believed to have been issued in the early Republic of China by the gambling company “New Happy Mahjong Club.” The token has a face value of “One.” The obverse features two concentric circles, with the innermost circle bearing the denomination “one.” In the outer circle, the seven characters “Sin Kuai Le Ma Cyue Zong Huei” (New Happy Mahjong Club) are inscribed in a clockwise sequence.

The reverse side of the token also features two concentric circles. The inner circle displays the denomination “1” in Arabic numerals, while the outer circle bears the English company name “SUN FAIL OK CO.★”. Based on the English inscription, it can be inferred that the company’s clientele was not limited to Chinese patrons but also included foreigners. This suggests that the token was likely used in a cosmopolitan area with a significant foreign presence, such as British Hong Kong or the Shanghai International Settlement.

“Sparrow” is another term for the popular Chinese gambling game “Mahjong.” Originating as a card game in the markets of Jiangnan, Mahjong had evolved by the late Qing Dynasty into a game enjoyed across the country and by all social classes. However, with the establishment of both the Republic of China and later the People’s Republic of China, Mahjong often became associated with gambling and crime, leading to government efforts to ban it.

In recent years, however, as Taiwanese society aged, Mahjong has increasingly been viewed as a beneficial activity for helping the elderly maintain social connections and prevent cognitive decline.

物件編號: A114

年代: 不明

材料: 鋁

尺寸: 22.53 x 22.57 mm

重量: 1.55 g

來源:

1. 諾南斯 2022

2. 大衛.萊斯利.福布斯.西利舊藏

這是一枚疑似在民國初年，由博弈公司「新快樂蔴雀總滙」發行之面額為「壹」的鋁製籌碼。籌碼正面有兩個同心圓，最內圈打印籌碼的面額「壹」，外圈依順時鐘順序，依序寫有「新快樂蔴雀總滙」七個字。

籌碼背面同樣有兩道同心圓，內圈是阿拉伯數字標示的面額「1」，外圈則是英文商號「SUN FAIL OK CO.★」。從該枚籌碼的英文標示作為判斷，公司的客群不局限於華人亦包含外國客人，藉此能推斷其位在外商雲集的英屬香港或上海租界。

「蔴雀」即是風靡華人世界的博弈遊戲「麻將」另一種稱謂，其起源於江南的市井紙牌遊戲，於清末已發展為風行於全國和社會各階級的遊戲。隨著後續中華民國和中共相繼成立，麻將經常因為和賭博犯罪劃上關聯，成為政府大力要禁止的對象。不過近年來，隨著臺灣社會步入高齡化社會，麻將也逐漸被視為協助老人維繫社交和防止腦力退化的一種有益活動。