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 Replies: 12 / Views: 3,091 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
I picked this coin up this past weekend, in a stack of about ten coins for all of ten dollars. The original price marked on it was US$15. However, in light of all the counterfeit pieces available, I wanted to post this up here so someone with more experience in these Chinese Provincial coins could confirm.  The first picture of the coin hopefully shows how at the left edge, the strike weakens and the denticles around the rim disappear.  This second picture is slightly blurry because of my photography. The dragon seems weakly struck, and the two designs at the outside edges of the coin fade away as they go to the edge. Edited by ElleKitty
07/01/2007 5:06 pm
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Moderator
 Australia
16809 Posts |
Is it silver dollar sized, or half-dollar sized? The denomination/weight given on that coin is 3 mace 6 candareens, which corresponds to a 50 cent coin, not a dollar.
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
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Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
OK, I'm home with my books now, and can be more specific. This coin is a definite match for the 50 cents, KM/Y# 257. Krause lists 3 varieties, with a footnote that there are actually 30 recognised varieties. Yours appears to be something like 257.2, with "four circles" attached to the base of the dragon's fireball. Yunnan was a Republic stronghold and held out until 1949. Varieties of this coin were struck from 1911 right up to 1949. The silver fineness started out at .800 fine, but gradually dropped to .500 fine as the civil war progressed. Being a 50¢ rather than a $1, it's much less likely to be counterfeited, though with CHinese coins anything is possible. I don't think the "fading away" of the design elements towards the rim is anything in particular to worry about, either. Check out this page on zeno.ru for some examples of the 50¢, some dollars to compare it with and some other Yunnan silver coins. 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
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
819 Posts |
Yes, it is closer to the half dollar size, and not a full dollar. I"m so happy to hear that this isn't a fake coin! Sap, you are a regular encyclopedia. :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
ElleKitty - Is there any way you can get a picture of the edge of the coin? While Chinese counterfeit 50 cent coins are far less common they do exist and the edge is usually an easy way to tell.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Hmm. I could probably take a picture of the edge of the coin, but there isn't a whole lot to see. It's reeded, like a US quarter. What sort of edge should I be looking for on it, SB?
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Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
If I've learned anything from Swamperbob's highly informative posts in the past, then he's looking for either an obvious edge seam or "split-top reeds" - a classic symptom of the commonest kind of Chinese-made counterfeit. This old thread shows a classic case of a realistic-looking fake (it sure fooled me) - the reeding gives it away, once you know what to look for. 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
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Wow, that was an informative post. Just to be on the safe side, I took a picture of my coin to post here. I don't think it looks tampered with, but I definitely don't have the experience with counterfeits. That I know of, at least.  Edited by ElleKitty
06/27/2007 07:14 am
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Valued Member
Netherlands
376 Posts |
Sorry to say that this is genuine piece, because YUNNAN has weak and strong strikes. The first ones are very detailed, the last ones very poor depicted. I do not see anything is wrong with it, I have a few of them in my own collection...Greetings from Rotterdam, Holland.
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Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
That edge looks fine to me, but I'd definitely defer to swamperbob's judgement. Nice edge picture, by the way. It can be tricky to get most of the rim into focus at once.  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
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5362 Posts |
I agree it does look real. I am out of town so I am using a smaller PC with a poorer picture but it looks good. Just check to make sure there is NO OVERLAP anywhere and I think you have the real thing.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
819 Posts |
Huzzah! I can't say I'm displeased to hear that verdict.
Thanks to everyone who took a moment to look through this thread and give advice. I've learned lots. :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
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Replies: 12 / Views: 3,091 |
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Posted 06/19/2007 03:35 am
