Here is another little sub- collecting niche to consider. Chinese merchants used their own personalised stamp or chop to authenticate coins .Once they had verified the coin was not a fake ,they marked it with their symbol and ,as the coins usually only circulated in a fairly small area ,the other merchants recognised the mark and knew it was genuine.Many of thse were Spanish and Mexican coins ,because of the high silver content Some coins have been chopped so many times the details are all but obscured.I only have one ,bought for melt value,without any idea of it's signifigance ..I thought some fool had got creative with a chisel . Anyone else taking an interest in these? Here is a youtube from one American collector http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=An8_aSjv3CY
I love chop marked coins Boyou - in fact earlier this morning I was searching the bay for any chop marked 8 Reales The chops add so much character to the coins, and imho add to the history of the coin involved.
Great ,XB.I subscribe to a newsletter that a guy in Shangahai publishes every month or so .It is full of useful articles on chopped coins and has lots of pics . If i could just work out how to post a pdf file ...hint
Belgium 1873 chopped mark 5 Franc. Lord coin Denomination: 5 Franc State: Belgium Issue year(s):1873 Person: Leopold II of Belgium(1835 - 1909) Categories: with lords Belgium, 5 Francs, 1873 LEOPOLD II ROI DES BELGES Bare head of King Leopold II left, Leop Weiner under head near rim L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE Crowned coat of arms surrounded by laurels, denomination in fields, date below Edge Lettering: DIEU PROTEGE LA BELGIQUE *** 25.0000 g, .900 Silver, .7234 ASW Mintage: 22,341,000 KM 24 Observe with marking of Actual coin Reverse of Actual coin See Link http://coinshome.net/en/coin_definition-5_Franc--Belgium-uvd_AAEBbqQAAAEjtU_APfNR.htm .
Chinese Silver Dollar with two clean chop marks / countermarks Heavily used heavily chopped silver Japan Yen Crown size Silver Coin more 8 Reales Chopped coins coming soon..
Japan yen (punch) and Seychelles rupee (scratch test???): Don't chopmark your coins, it will damage the other side! The punch made a bump on the other side. Hard to see - under UP in RUPEE.
8 Reales means 8 Royals; Mexican 1874 Zs JA, Which possess with a few Oriental Chop Marks with Original toning, 27 grams in weight; 90% silver