How about a Chop Mark thread !

Crypto

It seems that chops are currently relevant with strong prices realized and some major coins trading hand with even the Legand collection trading hands. I have always loved them as they are pure history in your hand and show the relics we collect actually were used for their intended purpose. Some also have the added benefit of have excaped the ravages of being messed with for so long due to their historically low value. Post them if you have them.

I like this one as it has classic test and merchant marks

Meltdown

Here's one I used to own...

Meltdown

And another...

steveben

no longer mine, pcgs ms62/chopmark:

be sure to know whether the chop mark helps or hurts the value. in this case, this coin is not worth as much with the chop mark.

edit: also cac approved. has pretty nice luster.

TomB

My single example. I believe Jeremy (airplanenut) has a similarly chopped TD, as well.

Justacommeman

This thread is going to cost me money

I want one

m

CommemKing

OGDan

Crypto

Interesting ink and punch chop on one of the later dated coins you will see with a chop. Not sure if the green is ink, smeg or verdigris. Leaning towards ink/smeg

Lots of luster on this one

Crypto

@OriginalDan said:

The only UNC (details) 55-s have I have ever seen and one of the coolest coins I have ever held regardless of price

airplanenut

@TomB said:
My single example. I believe Jeremy (airplanenut) has a similarly chopped TD, as well.

I've got more than one Here's a sampling:

jt88

China 1903 Fengtien dollar

jt88

China 1898 Fengtien dollar

TLeverage

@OriginalDan, putting us to shame. That 55-S is ridiculous.

TLeverage

jt88

I believe this going to be a great thread.

morgandollar1878

This is a first for me seeing a CBH with a chop. Great start to a thread, hope it keeps running.

mbogoman

AU55 with a single chop. My only chopmarked example. Not near as purty as Dan's or Crypto's

Crypto

The only reale 1804 dollar

Crypto

@TLeverage said:
@OriginalDan, putting us to shame. That 55-S is ridiculous.

>

Holey smokes that 76cc is a big coin... almost legendary

DDR

Oh man, where to begin...

This one was previously owned by Everett Jones, founder and President for many years of the Chopmark Collectors Club.

DDR

And this one is from Frank Rose, the original chop mark collector/author:

DDR

1876-CC DDR

DDR

And a cool looking 78-S:

DDR

And a cool looking 78-S:

Crypto

I heart that coin, the purple flashy jewel surfaces are not done justice by the true view

@DDR said:
And a cool looking 78-S:

TheRegulator

steveben- That 1875-S is just gorgeous.

OGDan

@OriginalDan said:

The U.S. Seated Dollar was initially devised as a coin for circulation at home. It was not initially designed for foreign trade, and ultimately failed at this purpose. It can however lay claim to it's place in numismatic history as the pre-cursor to my favorite series - the U.S. Trade Dollar. At 0.77344 oz. of silver, the U.S. Seated Dollar is of lower silver content than the Mexican Carolus dollar's 0.7858 oz., the preferred trade dollar of Chinese merchants at the time.

Because the Chinese merchants favored Mexican Carolus dollars the Mexican coins traded at a premium. In the western U.S., merchants and bankers paid a percentage to convert their silver into the Mexican coinage, in effect making the Chinese goods they were importing more expensive. At some point in the late 1850's, a group of merchants organized and approached San Francisco Mint officials about producing a U.S. silver dollar at the western mint. In 1859 the San Francisco mint produced the modest sum of 20,0000 Seated Dollars, the first silver dollar produced out west. It is believed that nearly all of the 20,000 mintage was exported to China. This 1859-S seated dollar is historically significant as, in my opinion, the first U.S. trade dollar albeit in an unofficial capacity.

It's worth noting that the Hal Walls Collection of World Trade Coins, sold by Paul J. Bosco in August 1997 had a chopmarked 1859-S Seated Dollar. It's the only other one I've heard of with Chopmarks.

OGDan

@DDR said:
Oh man, where to begin...

This one was previously owned by Everett Jones, founder and President for many years of the Chopmark Collectors Club.

Neat provenance! I have seen this coin in your set before, but never knew it was previously owned by Everett.

AmazonX

Trademark means "Rake" in Chinese and Japanese.

ricko

This is my chopped Trade Dollar -

Cheers, RickO

TennesseeDave

TennesseeDave

carabonnair

This one seems like the right time period - is this a chopmark or something else?

OGDan

Looks like a chop to me. Other factors that support this: one central chop like commonly seen on these halves, and it’s an SF mint coin which make up 99% of the chopped seated halves.

That’s pretty nice, most are much more worn than this one.

Crypto

@ricko said:
This is my chopped Trade Dollar -

Cheers, RickO

Holy Crap, did Ricko just post a picture of a coin? And a very nice one I might add.

OGDan

This is one of my favorites. 1815-B Brazil 960 Reis, counterstamped over an 1804-PTS PJ Bolivia 8 Reales. This little piece of silver took a world tour back in the day. Two chops were placed just under/around the crown.

ricko

@Crypto.... No, just a copy and paste from the TruView file... Cheers, RickO

Crypto

Strage grade

Outhaul

DDR

What a great thread, there are some outstanding Trade Dollars here, but I especially enjoy looking at the non-Trade Dollars.

Love the 55-S Half and 59-S S.L. Dollar, Dan. I am very jealous.

DDR

I'll add a little fuel to the fire. Here is a fairly common one, but in uncommon condition:

DDR

And this one is not at all common, it is flat out rare:

ldhair

OGDan

@DDR that 77-S looks sweet, I wonder how chopped coins survived in such great condition. Maybe they were taken out of a chest of silver, chopped, then put right back? Blows my mind.

That 78-CC tho....can you tell the story of where it came from? I seem to remember the story was printed in an old CCC newsletter.

ricko

@Outhaul ... That is a great chopped coin.... I intend to pick up one of these multi-chopped Trade dollars one day.... must put that on my list.... Near as I can tell, it looks like 27 chops... could be one or two more hidden in the obverse cluster.... Cheers, RickO

OGDan

Guys, I also have to come clean. I'm a morgan collector too.

DDR

The story behind the 78-CC is as follows: I purchased it raw off of eBay in 2000 for $747. This was right before all the counterfeits flooded the market and you could still buy raw Trade Dollars from eBay. I had just started to collect Trade Dollars and it was actually one of the first Trade Dollars I ever purchased! Needless to say, I was extremely fortunate.

The seller was a dealer in California who said he purchased it from a dealer in Japan who got it out of China. To my knowledge, it is the last "new" chopmarked 78-CC to appear on the market. In fact, I am only aware of one other chopmarked 78-CC that has sold publically since then, the VF example in the Baltimore auction this spring that went for $6,000+.

Only 97,000 78-CCs were minted, and of that 44,000 were melted, leaving only about 52,000. It was thought that none were shipped to China, all circulated out West. However, over time about 10-12 examples have surfaced indicating that at least some were exported and used in trade with China.

OGDan

@DDR thanks for recounting the story. Man that was a different era of collecting on eBay. Neat to have a story to trace the coin back to China. I wish all of my chopmarked pieces could be traced back to origin.

Let's keep this thread going...here's an interesting topic. With chopmarks helping to lend credibility to the coin you wouldn't think you'd find any counterfeits with chopmarks. But as a southeast asian friend of mine once said after his car was stolen despite The Club on his steering wheel, "the thief is very smart." So here are a few counterfeits with chopmarks. Unknown if the chopmarks were applied by real merchants or bankers, or if they were applied shortly after manufacture to help them pass as real.

In my opinion, this chopmark may have been part of the cast when the coin was made.

Possibly made by the Dan Carr of the day (just kidding) this is a fantasy date since Charles IIII 8 Reales were made from 1789-1808. It's possible the base metal core was exposed under the silver plating when the coin was chopmarked, so the secondary purpose of chopmarking to break the skin was effective.

Another fantasy date, the Ferdinand VII 8 Reales from Mexico ran from 1808-1821. If the chops are fake, then they even faked the little trifoil drill mark.

Also silver plated with base metal core. To my eye these chops look authentic and the coin was likely passable back in the day.

stealer

Here's another incredibly clean chopmarked T$. I've had it raw for many years now (came out of an ICG60 Details holder from eBay)...I'll get around to sending it in one day.

OGDan

Look who showed up to the party...nice coin stealer. Nice dirty Unc.