Buying Coins Wail In China And Bringing Them Home

May I ask where have you read that it is illegal, it isn't illegal to buy Chinese/old Chinese coin (im guess you want the real stuff). However anything with historical significance can be barred from leaving the country (and Chinese authorities can be idoitic at times).

For coins made in the 20th or 21st century, exporting them is perfectly legal. For older coins (such as pretty much any "cash" coin), they are classed as "antiquities" under Chinese law. Buying antiquities in China is legal, under certain circumstances. Taking them back home overseas with you is not.

In 2009, China passed a law prohibiting the export of any artifact dating from before 1900. There are no exceptions, permits or exemptions possible for tourists or temporary residents.

Fake/replica ancient artifacts are legal to export; they are supposed to have a red wax export seal stamped onto them, verifying that a government expert has examined them and proclaimed them to be non-genuine.

How well the government enforces this is another question. Certainly some people are smuggling large quantities of Chinese artifacts out of the country, mainly through Hong Kong (where export of antiquities is still legal). But from the busy air hubs of mainland China, thousands of artifacts are seized from tourists every week.

Assuming you do manage to smuggle such items out of China, there is then the problem of bringing them into the United States. A recent State Department MOU added "pre-1900 Chinese artifacts" to the list of things that US Customs are supposed to seize as stolen, and repatriate back to China, whether you've just arrived from China or not. Again, it requires US Customs agents to be familiar enough with Chinese antiquities to be able to confidently do this; in practice, it's been demonstrated that unless the box they are imported in has something like "ancient Chinese coins" stamped on it, US Customs will likely leave it alone.

@ryurazu The Chinese Consulate in Chicago's website is where I ran into it while I was going through the banned/restricted items lists. In there is lists collectible coins.