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1928 Chinese Auto dollar (advice please, is it real!)

I was at an auction yesterday and I bought a box of coins and a few notes for a very small price. I for some reason was drawn to then box, and had to bid until I won. (there were 4 very good UK crowns and one very poor one, also in it where some 1950/60's silver sixpences so I though it was worth buying for my bid hoping to just about get my money back and maybe a little more, I'll be honest it was a total leap of faith, knowing nothing really about there values.

However after geting home and rumagging through not to many coins (a lot where bent and mishapped!) also some have a copper growth on them, and one of the crowns looked very tarnished I found 3 older coin that where clearly not crowns and yes one is a auto Dollar

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I've of course done a lot of research on the coins in the last 24 hours, I actually got to bed at 4am today! and I keep trying to prove this is not a genuine auto dollar but it just keeps passing muster.

the other silver coins were a 1883 silver dollar ,and a chinese dragon dollar

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from the box, I have a feeling they have been in there for a long time, there was nothing of value in the lot to indicate there was anything that was rare I just bid on a gut feeling I didn't even really look or notice these and nor did anyone else, but I did get bid up a little, but I'm not talking lots!!! (sub $20 dollars) it was only when I got home I found about the silver coins and my son actually came down after finding out what the auto dollar was!

I know you'll have some questions to help judge this, so far the coins come up as 26grams on poor scales (thats all 3) I don't have a set to go finer, the coins are not metalic in any form and have a warm comfortable feel like old silver does. all three also pass the ping test, ie the ring when tapped lightly with one of the others. the dragon has the small 2 and space from the rim like the originals do so I'm really on tenterhooks here.

Some pictures of the auto dollar the black is thick and can be rubbed off, it not dirt like mud, but more like grim ie a build up of a 100+ years I'm hoping.

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the strange this is the 1883 silver dollar seems to validate the ages of the others, were all three put together long ago the rest of the coins where from the 60's

Also the auction was just a small villiage auction no dealers etc

so what do you think did I get very lucky, or did I waste a nights sleep!

Yours views and comments will certain be welcomed

Thanks

Dave

Comments

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    forgot sorry

    this is the edges of the coins.

    the auto dollar left, the silver US dollar, and then the chinese one

    image

    image

    Many thanks in advance guys

    Dave
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    coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,791 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Start by weighing them-

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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    coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,791 ✭✭✭✭✭
    what are the dates of the UK crowns?

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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    British sixpences from the 50's / 60's are not silver , the silver cut off dates for Britain are .925 stopped on 1920 so 1921 is not .925 but rather closer to half of that purity up until 1947 when silver stopped entirely.That goes for all UK silver , not just 6d's.With any luck your crowns pre date 47.
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    It's also a good idea to try the magnet test with coins that appear to be old Chinese coins , if your auto dollar passes that your a step closer , good luck with them all Dave
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    "pictures of the auto dollar the black is thick and can be rubbed off, it not dirt like mud, but more like grim ie a build up of a 100+ years I'm hoping. "


    Eeeek.. you don't want to do that Dave , whatever you do don't try and clean or rub any coin.Think of each rub as erasing another zero off the end of the value

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    theboz11theboz11 Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭
    The rear end and tire are out of proportion to a real china car, your tires are TOO round,, I would strongly suspect that one is fake. Chinese have gotten very good at imitation "AGE" on coins they fake.


    REAL China Dollar
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    << <i>what are the dates of the UK crowns? >>



    nothing special 3 x 1977 1 x Charles and diana, 1 x Queen mum 100 years.

    Thanks

    Dave
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    yep sorry force of habbit we called then silver sixpences, when they when in the christmas pud. My mum used to collect the early ones so I know the QE11 ones are not silver.

    ie just a term of phrase, sorry

    Dave
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    << <i>It's also a good idea to try the magnet test with coins that appear to be old Chinese coins , if your auto dollar passes that your a step closer , good luck with them all Dave >>



    I tried to say magnetic and typed metalic! Doh

    Yes non of the coins are megnetic and all pass the ping test. ie balanced of a index finger and tapped with one of the others they ring over hearing a dull thud!

    Dave
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    << <i>"pictures of the auto dollar the black is thick and can be rubbed off, it not dirt like mud, but more like grim ie a build up of a 100+ years I'm hoping. "


    Eeeek.. you don't want to do that Dave , whatever you do don't try and clean or rub any coin.Think of each rub as erasing another zero off the end of the value >>



    yep well aware of that so hence not getting the brasso (metal cleaner) out, lol only did a very small area.
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    << <i>The rear end and tire are out of proportion to a real china car, your tires are TOO round,, I would strongly suspect that one is fake. Chinese have gotten very good at imitation "AGE" on coins they fake.


    REAL China Dollar >>



    firstly Boz thanks, your the first to cast real dout on these.

    I agree my tires look too round and the gap on the rear wheel arch is greater than the example you give. (but that does not mean this might not be genuine? ie 640,000+ where struck and we have no guidance or information on the net, ie the dies could have been reworked over time! (ie the gap increased and the shape of the tyre affected.

    @, i'd come up spelling of roses! and having collected stamps for a long while, I know you can get many differences in the same stamp, and I presume coins can be very much the same, especially older ones like these.

    believe me I don't wish to proof it a fake, but I'm happy to accept it could be, but some things just don't add up as to it being a fake. ie the 1883 sliver dollar is not a rare coin, so why fake it, ie the Carson city one is more valuable, and as the one I have seems to be silver (non metalic, and ping tests) the value of the silver is about what the coin is worth, so why fake it?

    The dragon dollar seems to stand up to inspection i've checked it carefully on many sites, and it has the smaller two and the working is evenly spaced from the rim, two faults of the copies so it seems to pass muster, ie could be fake but again it not worth masses so if I had found that and the silver dollar alone I would believe there genuine, but I know they need validation.

    The coins in the box, were the Queen Mum Crown, dated 1980, Silver Jubilee crowns of 1977 and a Charles and Diana 1981, there were in a nice small but solid well made leather case (which I'll date about 1960 to 1970) and there was old and new coins (in total probably 100 to 150) the notes were 3 sheckle values 1, 1, and 5, from the 1950, two Japanese Goverment cent notes, and a note from Thiland 10 runt!) the coins pennys were from 1913 and mosly bent but the box has coins from europe and the far east about 1970-80 So my personal view, is this box has been in a cupboard for the best part of 30 years, and as I said this was just a small village auction, it looked like the stuff had come from a house clearance, and a lot of stuff seemed to date 1970, like the box. (so I just have a gut feeling these coins have been in there since the 1970's) and would they have been making fake coins at that time?

    on the Auto dollar, on one forum I read the truth is in the detail being crisp and sharp, and believe me I've looked at a lot of fakes, the lettering seems bigger and my writing is more petite and very simular, to originals I will admit the tyres are the first doubt I've had on this and I agree mine are more rounded and not like your example. but for now I'm not going to rule out reworks to the die causing that, ie there no way at present the difference is not acceptable (or explainable)

    So that my reasoning, ie

    They feel like silver coins
    they all seem to have been in the box since at least 1970's
    why have a fake 1883 silver US dollar when it's value in silver is not worth the effort of faking it
    they all are none magnetic
    they all come up as 26 grams (on kitchen scales) the coins are 25.8 or something I believe
    they all pass the ping test
    the edges of the coins are not square, at first I though they where, but there not under photographs you can see they are worn.

    Believe me no one thinks more than me that this is a fake, but why be with two other coins I believe are genuine? only time is going to tell, ie when someone that truely knows these coins can say yes or no. (any ideas)

    Thanks in advance

    Dave
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    theboz11theboz11 Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭
    They can be very expensive coins and a short trip to the TPC would give you an answer you don't need to Guess at. I have a Fake China Dollar,, It was sent to a TCP for verification. Here it is for comparison. See the dimple over the front of the top and the round wheels.. I'd Bet real money that yours is a fake also. Hope this help more gives my last statements a little more Authority to work with. If this is a Fake, 2 to 1 the others are also. I think I still have a Real Dragon around somewhere. I will look for it.image

    image
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    Boz

    Thanks for your help and comments, I'm really grateful for you all your help advice and comments

    okay firstly this is on ebay at present, is it a fake http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1928-China-Kwei-Chow-Auto-Dollar-ICG-AU-50-RARE-/261089108788?pt=US_World_Coins&hash=item3cca1fa334

    the guy seems to have it certified (AU50) what ever that means and at £8.5K it a bloody expensive fake!

    The ebay one and mine side by side.

    image

    this is the real one (as per your link and mine side by side

    image

    And then yours and mine side buy side

    image

    Lastly I know it a duff picture but mine along side the auctioned one

    image

    the tyre at the back look simular in shape.

    your views and comments are valued!

    Cheers

    Dave

    PS just out of interest what did you pay for your fake! (and I bet I paid less!) LOL

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    Jinx86Jinx86 Posts: 3,671 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Is yours missing the dot in the headlight or is it just as dark as the lower area? only difference I can see in really, however Im no expert on these.
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    theboz11theboz11 Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭
    I paid $50 for mine. I strongly recommend a trip to the TPC for verification. To be perfectly Honest,, you photos really make it hard to make it definitive.

    China makes Fake TPC holders also.


    Thanks Dan.
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    << <i>Is yours missing the dot in the headlight or is it just as dark as the lower area? only difference I can see in really, however Im no expert on these. >>



    hi jinx (Sorry I could not refuse that pun!)

    yes the dots are there but there are differences, if you look at my writing it crisper

    here the ebay coin and mine and noted differences and also BOZ and mine (I hope he doesn;t mind me calling him that, and I do know what a Boz pod is, if that part of your name mate!)

    image
    image

    hopefully they will show up together so they can all be seen on one screen!

    Dave
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    << <i>I paid $50 for mine. I strongly recommend a trip to the TPC for verification. To be perfectly Honest,, you photos really make it hard to make it definitive.

    China makes Fake TPC holders also.


    Thanks Dan. >>



    Dan

    I'm truly grateful for your input, thoughts and views, so thank you

    I agree I find things on both your and the one on ebay that are not the same to hard to call.

    to be honest mate I'm thinking there fake but hoping there real, this is the three silver coins

    Sorry not a great picture.

    image

    and this was the total haul

    image

    Dave

    PS you would have lost! I paid a Tenner, + £1.50 commission and handling fees £11.50 total. so I've not lost anything if it was fake. (just luck, if it, turns out t be real!)

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    << <i>

    China makes Fake TPC holders also.

    >>



    LOL now why does that not suprize me! image

    Dan thanks mate, but newbie, so whats TPC where will I find them and whats the going rate.

    Anything else you advise me doing (or not doing)

    Cheers thanks again for your help

    Dave
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    Id highly reccommend you get nice clear pics of that silver dollar and post them over on the US coin forum Dave , i'm anything but expert on those but we do have the best of the best over there who can spot a fake at 20 paces and i hate to say it but at first glance the eagle doesnt look right.
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    << <i>Id highly reccommend you get nice clear pics of that silver dollar and post them over on the US coin forum Dave , i'm anything but expert on those but we do have the best of the best over there who can spot a fake at 20 paces and i hate to say it but at first glance the eagle doesnt look right. >>



    Thanks James

    Good Idea. I'm just uploading some pictures now. the eagles breast is very rubbed the back is much better and the details is certainly finer on there than the front of the coin sadly but heres the pictures, see for yourself, and I will copy this post to the US coin section too.


    image

    image

    Also I did check the head position, with the eagle upright, the face is upside down when flipped over (ie 180 degrees to each other)

    Thanks again

    Dave
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    done my best to get some better pictures of the chineses ones too

    image

    image

    and

    image

    image

    More pictures here if you wish to view different ones

    http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/24192306

    Thanks Dave
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    theboz11theboz11 Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭
    No problem calling me Boz,,, that what they called me for Twenty years in the Navy.. They used to say " Go ask the Boz,, hence my name here.

    Seeing your coin clearly,, I am Positive it is fake.. The coin in your link has been removed from ebay.....suspicious.

    That area of the rear window should not have anything in it,, yet it has the same diagonal line running top left to bottom middle of the window, and the Pimple over the front roof area. In addition there is a depression to the left of the top inner character that is on Mine also. They are not present on the coin in the slab. These are telltale marking of Counterfeits on any coin.
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    DorkGirlDorkGirl Posts: 9,994 ✭✭✭
    Great learning thread! Thanks!
    Becky
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    theboz11theboz11 Posts: 6,576 ✭✭✭
    Even though I have not sent this to the TPC yet,, this coin has been discussed on here before.. I do believe it is Real. This was purchased long ago before the counterfeiting became a problem. Hope this helps

    image


    OH BUMMER,,, get your eyes checked BOZ,,, that the wrong denominationimage

    Oh well, its a nice pic and I will leave it here for anyone that wants to see another size.
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    coinkatcoinkat Posts: 22,791 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Definite fakes in the OP-

    Experience the World through Numismatics...it's more than you can imagine.

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    << <i>Definite fakes in the OP- >>



    Thanks

    As I said I paid a tenner for the who lot, so I'm not down Hundreds of pounds!!! image

    thanks for info guys, I will continue to read and monitor the thread!!!

    Dave
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