You are here:
Coin and Paper Money Collecting/asian coin
Advertisement
Question
Greeting, I have Recently acquired a group of asian silver dollars, some are actually British trade dollars, some are strange dragon dollars, and one I can not seem to identify at all. attached is a pix of the obverse, the reverse is a set of crossed flags. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks, Tony
)
Hi Tony, these are likely all fakes. The one in the photo is definitely not a genuine coin.
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 that will make the coin interesting enough to sell as a souvenir or conversation piece to someone who is unfamiliar with the genuine pieces.
Most older counterfeits weigh up light, are grayish, may have a weakly struck look to appear worn, look cleaned or antiqued and may have a dull or grainy surface or have typographical errors. Newer ones show that the counterfeiters are refining their skills and obtaining planchets of the right weight to produce passable counterfeits. Weighing it may be the best telltale of its genuineness.
Genuine Chinese silver dollar coins of this period weigh 26.4 to 27.5 grams each. The British Trade Dollars weigh 26.9568 grams.
Fakes: http://reviews.ebay.com/Fake-8-4-and-2-Reales-coins-from-ASIA-BEWARE_W0QQugidZ10...
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
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
Questioner's Rating
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Very Quick Answer, thank you.....I'll Have more questions I am sure. Tony | ||
Related Articles
- Fake Dies For Counterfeit Chinese Coins
- Monroe Presidential Dollar Error Struck on a Silver Quarter Blank - How to Tell if You Have a Monroe Dollar Error Coin
- Coin Fraud - Fake Silver Eagle Coin Fraud
- Counterfeit Coins on eBay and How to Avoid Them
- Ebay Coin Tips - Top 5 Ways to Avoid Buying Fake Coins on eBay
Coin and Paper Money Collecting
Answers by Expert:
Brad Swain
Expertise
I have been a World Coin and Paper Money collector since about 1965. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have on World coins or currency, tokens, unusual or unknown pieces and attempt to give you estimates of value and historical information about them in a polite and prompt manner.
Experience
45 years collecting coins and paper money.
Education/Credentials
BA History, BA Geography - Virginia Tech
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.