Chinese Cash Coin Duo

I picked up a group of Ch'ing Dynasty cash coins over the weekend, and while most were really ordinary fare, a couple seemed to be of just a bit more interest (at least to me).

The first is a machine struck type from the reign of Te Tsung (1875-1908). While overall a very common item, this specimen has a pronounced coppery hue instead of the typical yellowish, brassy color. It also exhibits several die cracks, as well as what may have been a die chip on the obverse at the bottom of the central hole.





The other was the oldest of the lot, dating to the reign of Sheng Tsu (1662-1722). It stood out for its larger size than the rest, being a bit over 27mm in diameter. I believe this was produced at the Board of Revenue mint, although to my eye the marking is not a precise match to that of an exemplar I found online.