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 Replies: 8 / Views: 2,888 |
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
I hope you folks don't mind my "jumping in", as this is only my second post. I bought this coin, along with several other Chinese coins on a whim. I have looked all over, and searched here and cannot find one just like it. I hope You folks can help me. All I have been able to find is that it is a Yuan. This coin was the only one of the bunch to have a person on it. The others had dragons. I would sencerly appreciate it if someone could tell me about this coin, or lead me to where to find the information.   Edited to add: This, along with all the coins are about the size of a US silver dollar. Thank you very much, Mr Fixit Edited by mr Fixit
11/14/2007 6:35 pm
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Valued Member
Australia
112 Posts |
It could be http://(131231) Not Allowed - Auto-Removed /countries/coin.php?image=nmc2/42-329&desc=Chinese%20Empire/Republic%20y329%201%20Dollar%20(1914-1921)
but it has extra characters
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Moderator
 Australia
16808 Posts |
It appears to be a dollar (also known as a yuan) of the early Republic, dated Year 3 (= 1914 AD). Catalogue value for an undamaged specimen in that condition would be around $25 or so. The three-character recessed area to the left of the portrait isn't part of the original design; it's supposed to be a counterstamp of some sort. Whether this would increase or decrease the value depends on whether any information about the counterstamp is known. I don't know what the three characters mean. I have to say I'm a bit suspicious about this coin. The counterstamp would have been applied after the coin was struck; to do that, the coin is "punched" very hard with a hammer. For a large punch like that, you should see a dint or something on the other side. I can't see any damage or deformation at all there on the scan. This page on zeno.ru shows several chop-marked and countermarked coins, to demonstrate what I mean. To me, that indicates this may have been made from cast dies copied from two different coins. May we ask where you bought them? If the answer is "China", "on ebay from a seller in China", or "down at the flea market for a dollar each", then they're definitely fake. Those are the commonest ways modern Chinese fakes come onto the market. Easiest test for authenticity is weight; these are supposed to weigh 26.4 grams. Too light (or too heavy!) and is a likely fake. 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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Valued Member
Malaysia
59 Posts |
It's suppose to be a Soviet Region Republic dollar. The chopmark read "su wei ai" in chinese, meaning Soviet. The chopmark itself is a fantasy, some on genuine Yuan Shihkai dollars. But your dollar I suspect is a counterfeit. The rim lacks detail and is weak.
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Valued Member
Malaysia
59 Posts |
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New Member
 United States
3 Posts |
Thanks for the help folks. You guys nailed the origin, I got them at a "flea market". Honestly, I didn't expect them to be real, or valuable. My 2 youngest sons like coins, the bigger and more different the better. I bought them with the plan of letting them play with them. I don't believe the seller was trying to pass them off as real. The booth was run by an older lady selling lots of crochet items, doilies, knitting and craft stuff she had made. Her husband was there and had nothing, except these coins. The sign simply said "coins for sale". He had maybe 25 of them. I looked through and picked out 8, 4 for each son. I got 8 different ones, the Yuan being the only one with person on it. All the rest seemed to have dragons on them. I think he had more than the eight types I got. I asked where he got them and he told me this; His neighbor, a Chinese gentleman, was in the import business. Some of the pallets of merchandise he received had boxes of these coins hidden in them. He said he did not know if it was a "kickback" or some other fee of some type, he didn't know. He said the Chinese man was very reluctant to get rid of them, but since they were friends, he let him buy a few. I only paid 75 cents each. I thought that was cheap enough for the kids to play with. Of course, then I got them home and got to thinking.."I wonder if these are worth anything?" And here I am. I truly appreciate the help with these. It has made me get out my "large beer mug full of foreign coins" and start looking at them. I may post some photos of those in the near future. Just for grins, here is the complete set of the eight Chinese "coins" I got:   Thank you all again. Mr Fixit |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1984 Posts |
Seventy-five cents per is a fine flea market price for those--I was holding my breath and hoping you didn't pay a lot for them.
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New Member
United States
3 Posts |
No, In fact, I'm thinking pretty seriously about gong back next time and buying some more.
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Moderator
Australia
16808 Posts |
Glad we could help.  A final warning about letting the kids play with them: at 75¢ each, they're not going to be made of silver. What they are actually made of, is anyone's guess. Copper-based, surely, but may have been alloyed, painted, or washed with mercury, lead, tin, antimony, arsenic... who knows? Just make sure the kids wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. 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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Replies: 8 / Views: 2,888 |
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Posted 11/15/2007 03:39 am
