Well it definitely reads “One Yen” so there’s a start.

Front = 1 yen
On the back it reads, Japanese Meji (era) eighth year.
A coin of some sort?

It is a large thing, about 4 inches across and ¼ inch thick. It has remnants of a gold wash on it. Seemed like it was commemorative of something.

So now at least I know it is Japanese, not Chinese, although it came from a Chinese gentleman.

Very interesting. The eighth year of the Meiji era was 1876, the year Japan used “Gunboat diplomacy” to force Korea into an unequal treaty and also pre-empt westerners from establishing a dominant relationship with Korea.

Thanks all, for pointing me in the right direction. I still do not understand the imagery on the piece. It looks like a lot of crustaceans and other marine life.

It reads ten thousand Yen. On the back it reads Great Japan Meiji era eight year