Unusual Kanji Question/Request

[Flopjack]

I was working on some graphics for currency in a video game and I wanted to use some Kanji on their surface as both a graphic and an "increasing in amount/side/strength" feel for it. Here it is now:

I'd like to try to get 7 symbols. (More is better, if we can find a pattern of meanings) The first 4 are different concepts and the last 3 are positions of people. This is a little intermixed, which I don't particularly want, and I don't understand the subtleties of how a given Kanji feels to the Japanese, or to an Asian person in general. What I would like it is a gradual build up of Kanji imagery, (not too complex in nature in terms of writing) indicating an increase in the currency value for these fictional coins. I hope I'm explaining this correctly. One solution might be if I used synonyms for "big" in an order of how they felt: big > large > huge > enormous > gigantic.

The last three in the image I understand to be prince, king and emperor respectively. In that one could see a trend of increasing of power among these meanings so it could be allude to the power of a coin in currency, but again, it doesn't have to be this. We could use other Kanji entirely, as long as the sense of growth among the coins is there.

Any takers for assistance or ideas on what I should use?

 

[Toritoribe]

How about simply to use numerals for official documents?

壱弐参四五六七八九拾
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

 

[Mike Cash]

You might also consider using historical Japanese currency as a model. The old stuff from the days before paper bank notes.

 

[Flopjack]

Toritoribe, that's a good suggestion, but I want to use the normal Kanji numbers for something else.

This can be a little abstract, like sizes or maybe animals. Hmm, I think I might research some animals, starting with size; smallest to largest. Any meanings behind specific animals? Also, I'll have to check out those old models. So long as the Kanji isn't too complex, for the sake of such a low resolution item that is.

Thanks guys! Any other ideas?

 

[nekojita]

甲・乙・丙・丁・戊・己・庚・辛・壬・癸 ?

 

[Toritoribe]

Yeah, I came up with that, too. The ten Celestial and the Chinese zodiac "子丑寅卯辰巳午未申酉戌亥" would be good examples that have more than seven elements. Other groups of kanji I can think of only have six or less elements, including the currency unit that Mike-san suggested.

currency unit in Edo period
文貫朱分両
１両＝４分
１分＝４朱
１貫＝１０００文＝１分(Thus, 貫＝分)

pre-WWⅡ noble rank system
男子伯侯公

ancient noble rank system
智義信礼仁徳

colors assigned for each noble rank
黒白黄赤青紫

military rank system in Self-defence force
士曹尉佐将