Expert: David McConaghy - 2/8/2012

Question
QUESTION: Hello!
I have a coin from the Kwang Tung Province that says 7 mace and 3 candareens on one side and a dragon picture on the reverse side.  Where can I go to see if this coin is valid or a counterfeit?  And how would I go about it?

Thanks for your time!
Katrina

ANSWER: Hello Katrina,

Most of these are counterfeits. See the attached photo for a look at one group of these fakes at a night market in Hong Kong. There were 10 stalls selling these and there are 5 or 6 night markets just in HK, there are about 50 night markets in China.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello again David!
 Thanks for the speedy response.  I guess my earlier email wasn't specific enough- my question is how do I tell whether or not mine is  a counterfeit.... how do I go about and test it or get it tested?

Thanks
Katrina

Answer
Hello Katrina,

Unless you have really really really really good provenance on this coin I am 99.99% sure that this is not real.

You can get this weighed; and if it comes out between 26.8 and 27.4 grams that is a good sign that it might be real.

The only way to get to a 100% level would be to send the coin to NGC - www.ngc.com - that will cost about $35 but if it turns out to be real the value would be about $600 to $1200.

Just about every time on these coins we can determine the authenticity by its history. If you had a relative that was in political power in China in the late 1890s or a well placed business person around that time it could be real. If it came from anyone in the US military from 1920 to today we are pretty sure that it is a replica.

If it was brought back from Asia in the last 50 years its a replica. I am sorry to sound so negative but I have seen hundreds of these and never once was it real.

Regards,
David McConaghy
New England Coin Exchange
www.necoinexchange.com
401-339-2934
We buy and sell all kinds of coins - Identification and Appraisals are always free