Chinese coin?

[George111]

Anyone got a idea what this is and what age it maybe?

Was in with a few old coins of my dads we found after he died couple of yrs ago

 

ps I don't know if its upside down in the pictures I cant read Chinese lol

Edited February 27, 2016 by George111

[Rob]

It's a cash and they were struck over a period of a few hundred years. They aren't rare for the most part, but the series is quite complex and some do fetch good money if you know what you have.

The best reference book is Berger's PhD thesis (1976) - if you can find one. Obviously the market for Chinese reference material is somewhat limited, so you should be able to pick up a copy for not too much money, say £60-80. I had one a couple years ago and it sold within a week or two at the lower price.

[George111]

This is almost exactly the same apart from 1 or 2 "letter" caractor are slightly different

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/High-Grade-COA-Large-Chinese-50-Cash-Coin-Xian-Feng-Zhong-Bao-Mint-Jiangxi-Chang-/171418138523?hash=item27e951379b:g:E1YAAOSwDk5T6Tuc

Edited February 27, 2016 by George111

[George111]

Put up the "right way"

[bagerap]

The one you link to is not a coin, it's a "lucky" amulet. Worth around £1.00. 

[George111]

It says

High Grade COA Large Chinese 50 Cash Coin Xian Feng Zhong Bao Mint Jiangxi Chang

 

£288 for a lucky charm pft

[bagerap]

This explains why you don't get large denomination cash coins

 

http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=234855

[mrbadexample]

I'm intrigued, bagerap. What makes you say the "coin" linked to is a lucky amulet? (Oh, I've just noticed that it's enormous - strange that I can zoom in on the "coin", but not the COA.) I only ask because I've been researching a couple of cash pieces of my own. 

George yours appears, to me, to be a cast brass 50 cash from Hsien Feng reign 1851-1861, Board of Revenue mint.

[bagerap]

At 51 mm, it's just a bit oversized. AFAIK there were only two fifty cash of this period over 48 mm and they were Hupu mint.

With George's coin, I'm trying to reconcile the characters on the reverse. The top one is Chou and the two bottom are Shih and Wu, and I can't find a match, it doesn't help that I only have Krause to go on.

[mrbadexample]

This site seems very good: http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china8.htm#hsien

Edited February 27, 2016 by mrbadexample

[Chingford]

Emperor WEN TSUNG
AD 1851-1861 50 CASH

 

 

 

[bagerap]

I'm glad you found Calgary Coins, when I tried it came up 404.

[PWA 1967]

1 hour ago, Chingford said:

Emperor WEN TSUNG
AD 1851-1861 50 CASH

 

 

 

Your full of surprises Chingford 

[George111]

Found it thanks guys

http://www.sportstune.com/chinese/coins/hsienfeng/50cash.html

[Chingford]

I helped with a probate a few years back for a friend whose Uncle left a collection, had a lot of Chinese coins to identify

[George111]

Is it worth much?

[mrbadexample]

Fiver, tops.

[scott]

yea they are not that rare, but are interesting.

I actually bought something in japan in an antiques shop, that is used as something (coins tied together with some stip of paper dangling down) and it was interesting in the fact it had coins dating from the 1100s on up to the 1760's wave cash

the 1100's 10 cash is large as well, but mainly worth.. not a lot.

I also own one of the 50 cash

for size, its about the size of the cartwheel twopence

 

whats great about Chinese coins are you can get really old coins.. for next to nothing.

 

Edited February 27, 2016 by scott

[bagerap]

2 hours ago, scott said:

yea they are not that rare, but are interesting.

I actually bought something in japan in an antiques shop, that is used as something (coins tied together with some stip of paper dangling down) and it was interesting in the fact it had coins dating from the 1100s on up to the 1760's wave cash

the 1100's 10 cash is large as well, but mainly worth.. not a lot.

I also own one of the 50 cash

for size, its about the size of the cartwheel twopence

 

whats great about Chinese coins are you can get really old coins.. for next to nothing.

 

And quite a lot of Ancients. Islamic, Roman, Greek and Indo-Greek  are, in the main really inexpensive. The trick is to try to learn the language of the coins. I'm doing semi OK with the Islamics thanks to a book our landlord Chris sells. Chinese is proving harder. A seasoned veteran on another site suggested that learning to read Japanese  coins made it easier to then study Chinese. Not tried that yet, elderly grey cells need more stimulus.