How late were chopmarks used?

Weiss

I'm sure some merchants and bankers somewhere used punches and marks up to and even past the end of commonly circulating silver coins, but what's the latest that numismatists would consider to be "of the era" and not an anomaly? Similarly, what's the latest dated coin with authentic, of the era chops?

crypto79

I have seen some early British Trade dollars with Chops dating to about the 20s. I can guessimate that the practice was more or less still used as China shifted from a dynastic rule to a Republic in 1911 then being phased out up until around 1927 when Chiang Kai-Shek took over the Republic of China. The ensuing political turmoil that lead to the power shift from republican rule to communist rule in 1949 and then the uprising that lead to Mao in the end of the 1950s killed it along with many traditions not to mention a few people.

The funny thing is I can not confirm the existence of a single period Chop tool as most were assuredly destroyed during the failed "Great Leap Forward" (1958-1961) when China attempted to match the West in terms of steel and agricultural production by basically recycling all social possessions for industrial purposes.

DDR

I believe Crypto has it correct.

Finding a chopping tool is kind of the Holy Grail of chop mark collectors. I don't believe that a genuine has ever been uncovered.

stealer

<< <i>I have seen some early British Trade dollars with Chops dating to about the 20s. I can guessimate that the practice was more or less still used as China shifted from a dynastic rule to a Republic in 1911 then being phased out up until around 1927 when Chiang Kai-Shek took over the Republic of China. The ensuing political turmoil that lead to the power shift from republican rule to communist rule in 1949 and then the uprising that lead to Mao in the end of the 1950s killed it along with many traditions not to mention a few people. >>


Then again, many later Chinese coins (IIRC even into the 40's) show up with chopmarks. I don't see enough Chinese coins, but I don't think it's uncommon to see coins after the 20's with chopmarks. I think you're correct about the Great Leap Forward.

Weiss

Thanks, guys. I scanned eBay and found several coins from the teens that are chopmarked, including a few in PCGS holders. I've got a British trade dollar from 1903 with a mark, and I'm just interested how long that practice continued.

AUandAG

I have seen chops made last year. Unfortunately they were as fake as the dollar they were on.



bob

ricko

I did not realize that chop tools did not survive the 'Great Leap Forward'.... Chop marks have been one of my areas of interest and I have often looked in antique shops for chop tools.... maybe I have been wasting my time. Cheers, RickO

PerryHall

I don't doubt that newly made trade dollars are currently being chop marked in china.

crypto79

<< <i>I did not realize that chop tools did not survive the 'Great Leap Forward'.... Chop marks have been one of my areas of interest and I have often looked in antique shops for chop tools.... maybe I have been wasting my time. Cheers, RickO >>



With no evidence to support this theory but I would think you would be on the right track. I would imagine a tool would be more likely to be found overseas (being here esp on the west coast) in a shop from an old merchants stuff than locally (china) where people have been looking with no luck.

Coinosaurus

Come to think of it, has anyone even seen a U.S. counterstamp punch tool from the 19th century? There were a ton of merchant counterstamps on US coins but I don't think I've ever heard of a matching punch tool.

MilkmanDan

Cool topic and something I've wondered about. We have direct evidence of chop marks for almost 200 years so I believe we will find chop tools, eventually.