Can someone enlighten me?

holeinone1972 · January 24, 2007 7:38AM

What is is with chop marked trade dollars? What has happened to them, and why are they looked on as a good thing, and not graffiti?

dthigpen · January 24, 2007 7:43AM

They were tested in commerce to make sure that they were actually silver, also to show where they went through. (TDN could elaborate I'm sure)

airplanenut · January 24, 2007 7:50AM

<< <i>They were tested in commerce to make sure that they were actually silver, also to show where they went through. (TDN could elaborate I'm sure) >>

That's pretty much it. As far as I understand, when trade dollars would come to a port, a few would be analyzed, and then all (some of?) the coins would be chopped as a certification of the coins' metal content. Sometimes, you'll get a dollar with more than one chop, signifying more than one port.

Other times, you'll get a dollar that's just been around a LOT

fivecents · January 24, 2007 8:00AM

It is hard to believe PCGS certifies a coin that has seen the working end of a hammer and punch.

Why did China distrust the USA so much as to keep testing(chopmarking) all of our trade dollars for silver purity?

410a · January 24, 2007 8:00AM

Their weight was higher than the Morgan dollar and equal to the task of world trade at the time. The marks are chinese chop marks signifying that they pass muster as good weight and fineness. They were once look upon with disdain by coin collectors as ruined and most wanted their Trade dollars not to have chop marks. Times change and I guess the fact that they traded and were in the orient makes them somewhat desirable these days.
Not in my view.

Bowers book Silver Dollars and Trade Dollars Encyclopedia has scads of information on them. Breens encyclopedia of US coins is probably still available.

Others on the boards here can help too.

shylock · January 24, 2007 8:03AM

Trade dollars were first issued in 1873 to compete with the Mexican peso in trade in the Orient. Regular silver dollars were not accepted because they were underweight relative to the peso. In some cases the entire mintage of a Trade dollar date was sent to China or other Far East ports. The merchant could be identified by his or her particular chop mark which was usually a Chinese character punched into the coin. Some Trade dollars were chopped dozens of times, while others were only chopped once or twice. Still others, of course, received no chop marks whatsoever.

They are very cool, an American classic coin with Far East accents -- the ultimate US/Darkside merge.

Airplanenut's is incredible.

Bochiman · January 24, 2007 8:06AM

<< <i>It is hard to believe PCGS certifies a coin that has seen the working end of a hammer and punch.

Why did China distrust the USA so much as to keep testing(chopmarking) all of our trade dollars for silver purity? >>

What makes you think it was the USA that they distrusted? Maybe it was their own counterfeiters......

410a · January 24, 2007 8:11AM

Correction said; Morgan Dollar meant Silver dollar (seated) weight was the issue at that time.

See these guys are good.

airplanenut · January 24, 2007 10:35AM

<< <i>It is hard to believe PCGS certifies a coin that has seen the working end of a hammer and punch.

Why did China distrust the USA so much as to keep testing(chopmarking) all of our trade dollars for silver purity? >>

Perhaps they thought the American traders were using Chinese trade dollars?

seemyauction · January 24, 2007 12:41PM

While the history behind them is very interesting.....I would still rather have one without the chop marks......Just my opinion......

AL

dthigpen · January 24, 2007 12:45PM

<< <i>While the history behind them is very interesting.....I would still rather have one without the chop marks......Just my opinion......

AL >>

And on the flipside, I only buy them WITH Chopmarks, and will pay a hefty premium for some.

Can someone enlighten me?

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