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Possible Japanese Chopmark on a U.S. Trade Dollar
TLeverage
Posts: 259 ✭✭✭
I purchased the following coin several months ago from a vendor in Europe; it had not occurred to me prior but the large obverse chop is actually a symbol that is more commonly associated with Japanese as opposed to Chinese culture, representing the kamon (family crest) symbol of the 'Houjou' or 'Hojo' clan, and is intended to symbolize 'the Three Dragonscales'. Though the clan's power seems to have dissolved at the Siege of Odawara in 1590, perhaps the family endured, or the mark was reused by another party at a later date? If anyone has any further information regarding this symbol's use in Japan (or China) in the nineteenth century, I would greatly appreciate it.
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Nice looking coin. Can you show the reverse?
Saw your post on Reddit a few days ago. Really sweet coin and I'm a jealous counter-stamp collector.
You might have more luck on the us forum with some of the TD specialists over there. @OriginalDan and @Crypto might be able to give some additional info or point you to someone who does. I know there is a book on chopmarks, but forget the name of it.
I will actually be meeting with both of the board members you mentioned later in the year;, and there are two books on chopmarks that I am aware of: Frank Rose's 'Chopmarks' and Colin Gullberg's 'Chopmarked Coins - A History'. Unfortunately, to my knowledge, neither mentions this mark. Both books primarily cover known host coins with chopmarks, types of chops, etc. The vast majority of chopmarks that are decipherable are Chinese characters, and most of those cannot be attributed to a certain merchant. Abstract symbols such as these are very seldom known to be confidently attributed to a particular source, the information just wasn't recorded.
This is one of the frustrating sides of chopmarked coin collecting. It's really tough to trace a specific mark to a specific merchant/banker/shroff. You could try posing the same question to the Chopmark Collectors Club and hope that someone responds to the newsletter, but I haven't had much success with this in the past.
Very attractive coin.
Sorry it took so long!