It Isn't Often I Get To Post A New Topic Here. US Trade Dol.

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Chops- The Mark of a "Good" Coin

As trade with China grew in the mid-1800's, the U.S. Silver Dollar "came up short" because it had less silver than coins of other countries. In order for our coins to be accepted, we needed a new coin. The Trade dollar was first issued in 1873 with a weight of 420 grains compared to 412.5 grains of the regular silver dollar.

With a variety of coins trading in China, it was difficult to know which coins to trust. To solve this problem, merchants created a unique "chop" or mark which he would strike into a coin he determined to be good. The more chops on a coin meant that it had been more widely accepted.

U.S. Trade dollars were issued for circulation for only six years. Those bearing chopmarks of Chinese merchants are a unique part of our coinage history.

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