Posted 06/15/2012 02:03 am
The authentic Chinese coins for this period are quite often poorly struck, which makes the identification of real fakes all the more difficult.
It is almost worth buying good quality fakes, provided they are purchased at a significant discount to their probable bullion value. In those occasionally chaotic times, even the official mints produced silver coins that had less than the prescribed amount of silver in them.
Three decades ago, I was buying cash coins for 10 cents each, authentic or not, because they are so easily faked. These days, at $5 to $10 each, I won't go near them, authentic or not. Fortunately, I managed to build a nice little collection of about 200 of them of most dynasties, all now fully identified, using Schjoth's book.
It is almost worth buying good quality fakes, provided they are purchased at a significant discount to their probable bullion value. In those occasionally chaotic times, even the official mints produced silver coins that had less than the prescribed amount of silver in them.
Three decades ago, I was buying cash coins for 10 cents each, authentic or not, because they are so easily faked. These days, at $5 to $10 each, I won't go near them, authentic or not. Fortunately, I managed to build a nice little collection of about 200 of them of most dynasties, all now fully identified, using Schjoth's book.
