Chinese Fake? This Cixi Is Different...

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Author	Replies: 4 / Views: 1,880
JayC New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 01/19/2009 11:42 pm Hello! This is my first time writing...so I hope I'm understandable. This coin has been in my family since, at least, the early 1970's and perhaps as far back as the mid-1920's. I've seen many coins that are similar, but they all differ from this coin in both size and appearance. In addition, this coin is really silver, (unfortunately, my grandfather collected and sold scrap silver and the process for testing, back then, was to file off a bit of the metal), but nonetheless it is silver. The coin is the same size as the 50 cent piece of the period, ( a little over 33mm) and weighs just under 14 grams, (those that I've seen sold recently have claimed to be dollars) and different from the obvious fakes I've seen, this coin doesn't have a dentil around the obverse rim. The reverse is the same dragon you'll find on the 3 mace 6 candareen coin produced in the Yunnan province between 1909-1911...that is also completely different from the larger coins. It is probably a fake...but a fake of what? Why would anyone counterfeit an obvious fake coin? My question is more historical in that, considering the fact that The Empress Dowager was, according to official history, not well liked, even by her own people, why would anyone even fake her commemorative? Apparently, more recent history is mellowing on her, which may account for the abundance of new copies, but this coin isn't new. Sorry this is such a long posting but I've already had people tell me this is a "fake" based upon parameters established for the larger coin that is, as a matter of fact, still being sold as "authentic" at local stores adjacent to the Empress Dowager's summer home in China. This is not that coin. Can any one help me identify it's origins. Thanks JayC Image: 100_3298_edited.jpg 65.89 KB Image: 100_3296_edited.jpg 89.43 KB Report this Post to the Staff

gxseries Pillar of the Community Australia 3831 Posts	Posted 01/20/2009 01:45 am Simple - nothing but a random cast "medal" which never exists in the first place. My partial coin collection http://www.omnicoin.com/collection/gxseries My numismatics articles and collection: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/numis_index.htm Regularly updated at least once a month. Report this Post to the Staff
wd1040 Pillar of the Community United States 3098 Posts	Posted 01/20/2009 02:10 am Yeah... it doesn't have a year. It should at least have a year! And erm... I don't think China ever minted 1/2 dollar sized coins. All fractional money were done in copper cash. Report this Post to the Staff
Sap Moderator Australia 16849 Posts	Posted 01/20/2009 02:31 am No, China made plenty of half-dollars or 50 cent coins in the late Imperial and Republic periods. As for this "coin", it's a copy (probably a copy of a copy of a copy...) of a medal, part of a series of dollar-like medals commemorating each of the Qing Dynasty emperors. They were never official coins, even when first issued, and the designs have been kicking around the fake coin makers now for many years. They were (and no doubt still are) often sold to tourists in the marketplaces of mainland China. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
JayC New Member United States 2 Posts	Posted 01/20/2009 10:34 am Thank you for all your input...particularly you Sap. It is, of course, a medal commemorating the reign of Cixi, which is not an official coin. The fact that I have personal knowledge of the coin being a part of my grandfather's personal affects places it in my family prior to 1976...the year he died. It may have been made for tourists but prior to 1985...the tourist industry in China was rather limited. It has been assayed as silver, (not base metal or clad), however I guess the next step is to determine it's exact content. Although the dollar-sized medals are well known...the half dollar (or more precisely 3 mace 6 candareen) are not. Unfortunately, all of your answers presume that I have not done any research or validation of the coins content prior to my submission...this is not the case. I know that the "image" of Cixi, reproduced on the coin, was that gleaned from a portrait of her, (complete with headress), done in 1889. I know that the image of the dragon is precisely that of the Yunnan dollar only produced between 1909-1911...right down to the star (dot) between the 6th and 7th , (what I call), flame off the tail...not an element generally considered important to most counterfeiters and not on any of the fakes, of this coin,that I've seen. I agree it's a "fantasy" coin but its' origin is still in question. Does anyone know of a reputable numismatist in the Chicago area that specializes in Chinese coins or exunemia? Again, I want to thank you for your help Report this Post to the Staff
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