Need Info On 4 Asian Tokens/Medals?

The top two are from China, 50 Cash coins 'Hsien-feng Chung-Pao' from emperor Weng-Tsung (1851-1861).
The third one is a medallion/charm with the same obverse.
The last one has the same reverse but I haven't seen the obverse.
All have the board of revenue mint indicated.

On images on the top two coins need to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
On the third the left image 90 degrees anti-clockwise.
On the fourth the left one 90 degrees anti-clockwise, the right one 180 degrees and the two sides have to be swapped.

For me, it's the filing, or lack thereof. The one on the left has been filed down very coarsely, presumably using some king of modern tool like a sanding belt, leaving all those striations. The one on the right is not sanded down at all, yet still bears a rim that appears as if it has been. This, combined with the irregular shape, makes me think it's a cast copy of an actual coin, rather than of a seed coin like genuine cast cash would have been.

Another clue is...


They should be, as genuine cash coins were pushed onto a stick and lathed in bulk until they were round.


The way the OP has posted the pics is somewhat confusing. The pics side-by-side are of different coins, not the same coin. For the fourth coin, the one on the right of the two bottom pictures, the two-figures-and-pearl pictorial goes with the zhi ri gao sheng obverse. This means the third coin is basically identical to the first two - except, apparently, it's smaller.


Sorry, but your dealer was incorrect, on both counts.

Thanks Sap! That makes much more sense.

I was assuming the side-by-side images were from the same coin.

It was easy to identify them as fakes because the calligraphic styles of the obverse and reverse for the same coin were not consistent.



I'm still certain that this is a modern fantasy piece. I've never seen an authentic (old) Chinese charm with this reverse (figures and flaming pearl).

I would like to add one additional point to the discussion if I may.

When it comes to authenticating Chinese coins, and this is particularly true for Qing Dynasty coins made of bronze or brass, it is extremely important that the images reflect the true colors of the coin.

Since these coins were cast only a few hundred years ago (1644-1911), most of them will not have been buried and therefore do not have a natural patina which a knowledgeable collector can use to determine the authenticity of the coin.

Therefore, if the coin has the correct style elements (for example it was cast using an authentic coin), the only good way to authenticate the coin is by the color of the metal or its patina (which may be more of a discoloration than a true patina).

I would say that the vast majority of the coin images we see on the forums do not reflect the correct colors of the coins.

For example, in the OP's images is the background really a bluish gray? Is the brightness correct?

Many people take a photo of a coin against a white background. However, the image will frequently come out looking too dark and muddy.

If the background color is not correct, then the colors of the coin are not accurate either.

(Also, we are looking at the images using different monitors which means the colors of the same image will not look the same to all of us.)

Photos of coins should really be taken against either a white or black background so that the true colors of the coin can be seen.

If the white background comes out "muddy" in the image, then the white balance should be corrected.

In regard to Qing Dynasty coins, the color of the metal can vary greatly depending on where the mint is located and its source of copper. For example, coins from Xinjiang in the far west will tend to have a reddish hue. Coins from other mints will have a more brass color or a dark color.

To determine whether one of these coins is real or not often comes down to knowing exactly what color the metal/patina should be. This takes a great deal of experience and knowledge.

(An image of a Qing Dynasty coin which I believe accurately reflects its true colors may be seen here. This is also a coin cast during the Xianfeng Emperor's reign. However, it was cast a different mint and the color of the metal is correct only for this particular coin.)

Of course, there are other factors to take into consideration as well, i.e. calligraphy, positioning of the characters, rim width, hole size, diameter, weight, sound, etc.

If there are not obvious reasons for determining a coin to be a fake, it is always best to have an "expert" look at it in hand.

And, as Sap as stated, the OP's coin dealer would not be a suitable "expert" in this case since he apparently is unable to differentiate Chinese from Korean coins.

Gary