Expert: Brad Swain - 11/9/2009

Question
I have got a coin.. It looks chinese and its dated 1616-1626 it has a man on the front with a hat on and the back of it looks like a dragon please help me...

Answer
Hi Jeremy, it is a modern fantasy piece and not an actual coin. No actual coin was made with this design.
Counterfeits and fantasy pieces mass produced in East Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe abound of Chinese and U.S. coins, and many other countries'.
A 'fantasy' piece is when someone creates or hijacks an official design and changes it to suit whatever purpose they imagine will make the coin interesting enough to sell to someone who is unfamiliar with the genuine pieces.
Genuine Chinese silver dollar coins of this period weigh 26.4 to 27.5 grams each.
Chinese counterfeit factory: http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/Chinese-Counterfeiting-Ring/Chinese-Fake... .
You might also try a library for a copy of the Standard Catalog of World Coins for pictures, values and lots more interesting info.
Brad