Chinese Coins - Anything here?

Windycity

Picked these up with a collection of foreign coin - some that were nice collector coins. I know nothing about Chinese coins so thought I would post here to get the opinion of the experts... anything of importance here?

ProofArtworkonCircs

Some of the Manchu language mintmarks do not look familiar to me. Not that I know that much about them.

EVillageProwler

My wife, who is Chinese, thinks they may be fake because they are commonly faked, not because she noticed anything specifically amiss about them.

lordmarcovan

They look perfectly real to me.

harasha

Agree with the above. I have handled a decent number of Chinese cash coins and based on the photos, I do not think these are fake.

SaorAlba

I don't believe they are fake. There were lots and lots of them made. Fakes are not cast like those, they are machine struck.

silverpop

I have two cash coins and have seen many those aren't fake



cash coins were well used in their lifetimes so many will look worn



one dates between 9 and 23 A.D and the other dates to 1854

Windycity

What is the best resource to begin to understand these coins and determine dates and values?

Stork

Give this book a look



His similar book on the Japanese coins is very nicely done and readable. I haven't looked at this book, but I suspect it would be excellent.



Cathy

STLNATS

Originally posted by: Stork

Give this book a look



His similar book on the Japanese coins is very nicely done and readable. I haven't looked at this book, but I suspect it would be excellent.



Cathy

The Hartill Chinese book is excellent and easy to use. i've toyed with cash over the years as an inexpensive secondary interest, have a few references and this is the best for me.



BTW, a +1 to the comments that these appear to be real. Most seem to be late 18th/early 19th century with several different issuers. Two coins are unfamiliar to me, both on the second row: the 2nd from the left and second from the right. Not that that makes them rare, just coins I've not encountered. Nice little research group!

Windycity

Thanks... bought the book.

harasha

The coin, 2d row, second from left, certainly appears to be a puzzler. It has a strong resemblance to Da Zong tong bao (1361-1368) on the obverse, but that first character looks more like a Yuan or Guang, in my novice opinion. All those crescents on the reverse also are unexpected.
If you purchased the Hartill, see 20.1 ff.

The coin, 2d row, second from right, appears to be from the Tong Zhi emperor (1862-1874). My guess would be Hartill 22.1129.