An Interesting Counterstamp On A Chinese Dollar Coin

wd1040 - I knew I can rely some of the forum members here to ask. Please do ask and see if they know anything about this.

Everything about this is just unusual. First let's talk about the original coin, first struck in Kiang Nan province. It used to be plentiful until the culture revolution in the 60s when Mao Zedong declared anything that's imperial or non-communist must be burnt, remelted, demolished etc. You can't imagine the horror of how much culture icons were destroyed down. Can't say much about coins but you can imagine. Even excess potware or farmware were melted down to create more steel, only to be made as crap pig iron.

It was common to see heavily chopmarked silver dollar size coins to be sold at near scrap value. It is only until VERY recently, when I mean REALLY recently, I dare to say in the last TWO years when prices changed dramatically. If you can find any decent dollar size coins even in slightly damaged condition for under 100USD, you got it for real cheap. Maybe the Olympics got to do the prices when the Chinese decide to buy whatever they can. These people got money and I mean A LOT. If you know what you are looking at, not those counterfeit nonsense, the prices of genuine Chinese coins even modern coins struck after 1950s command prices that unbelieveable. Easily thousands for modern 1980s coin. And it's just mere ounce of silver or less!

I reckon it's safe to assume that the original host coin is original to begin with as it used to be cheap. What's more intridging is the overstrike feature - the anti-soviet logo and text. It's quite intrigding if it's made back in 1989 ish - where did these students get the press? The pictures here doesn't show it but under the overtruck feature, it shows radical brillance of silver, as if it was freshly struck. But then, why do it and at what cost did they sell these?

Ok let's assume we are talking about times when silver prices were around 4-6usd/oz. Yes, I remember those times. I reckon if it's heavily chopmarked, maybe you could have got it for 10-20 dollars. And mark it up to 50 dollars? But would you pay that amount of money? I'm curious if BCSSA kept a record of this. However on ebay, I've seen a couple gone for sale and prices are just whacky. Seen one offered at 500USD, another sold at 300USD. This one - I got it at a total steal.

wd1040 - I promise to send you better photos when I can. I don't have my camera and lighting setup with me at the moment since I have recently moved to another state for work. Might be a while though.

wd1040 - I tried to get my hands on a Maotai but the prices are ridicious here in Australia - they are asking for at least 250USD (not RMB) for a bottle. I passed. I know what it tastes like and it's good stuff but not when the price is THAT high.

Prices for almost all Chinese coins are totally whacked for real. When you talk about general Chinese coins struck in the early 1900s, most silver coins and obscure provinces like Xinjiang, Shannxi and Guizhou (where Maotai is made) command prices that you've never seen before. I've come up with another crazy type set - appearently I like to start my type set when prices start to hit higher, not lower and you can see what kind of madness I'm dealing with: http://www.gxseries.com/numis/china...province.htm

I still have some coins that I haven't photographed but if you do collect Chinese coins from this era, it's clearly difficult as they are difficult to locate and counterfeits come in terms of truckloads, not bucket loads. I should have a Kiang nan silver and Uighurstan copper coin coming in. Uighurstan coins are notoriously difficult to locate from the beginning and are priced outrageously.

The coin that I have shown - I think I paid around 50USD or so which I think it's a steal. I don't know if you agree with me on that. If anyone else has something similar and want to sell me around that price, let me know.

Very interesting WD1040 - I'll keep this information somewhere and archive it. It's worthwhile to do so.

Here's another example on ebay and it's clearly not cheap. This time you can see it's struck over a Republic of China silver coin. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...270673756857

I have the same envelope as shown. For 750 dollars, it's too much. I wonder where those student organization got the press and even managed to send it overseas. Intriduging.

Also, the current prices for any low grade Chinese Empire or Republic of China silver coins have shot to new highs if you have checked Ponterio's recent auction. I'm sure you wouldn't want to spend hundreds if not thousands just to overstrike into this!

Here's a couple of photos that I took. Not the best since I don't have my standard lighting setup so I had to use flash and get around the problem. Most of the details are there although the color isn't too right. You get the idea. :)

That is a fascinating bit of anti-communist propaganda

Argh! Now I know who bought the other coins! I remember I was trying to bid them all back then but focused more on the Chinese coins. Can't win them all.

That said, I find it interesting that non Chinese coins were used. But why...? At one stage damaged / chopmarked / low grade Chinese silver crowns were sold as scrap back then.