if you drop one of these coins on the ground, You'll know it

[jeff of pa]

Just Don't drop it on your Foot !

Weighs as much as 15 Trade Dollars.

The Lamar register. (Lamar, Colo.), 21 Oct. 1893.



https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/...ext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

(The United States Trade Dollar: popularly called the "Buzzard dollar" after the public's opinion of the eagle on the reverse)

(Gold in 1893 $20.67 an OZ.)

 

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[Mackaydon]

Annam was located in central Viet Nam.
Don.....

 

[Mackaydon]

An interesting sidebar to the 'loof' coin. The value was written cross the face of it in Indian ink. Notwithstanding, these coins were not looked kindly upon by Europeons because the native had a 'playful' habit of sawing the huge coins in two and scooping out the interior gold. Lead was then inserted to maintain the proper weight; the edges were soldered together very skillfuly; only a magnifying glass could discern the PMD.
Jeff. thanks for your post.
Don....

 

[trdking]

I thought the Buzzard Dollar was the Morgan? If so the silver coin mentioned weighs just over 20 pounds!

 

[huntsman53]

Ouch!

 

[jeff of pa]

I thought the Buzzard Dollar was the Morgan? If so the silver coin mentioned weighs just over 20 pounds!

after checking Old Newspaper articles instead of Google

I Believe you are Correct

 

[trdking]

I of course have everything mixed around And its 15 buzzards and the next coin is 325 gold dollars. 15 buzzards is about a pound and it doesn't really give any info on the 325 gold dollars

 

[Plumbata]

Interesting article, wouldn't mind having some of those pieces floating around!

The largest old precious metal "coin" I recall is the Siamese 80 Baht "Pot Duang" bullet coin:



Most have probably been melted down so the ~1,200 gram (2.6lb) coins are exceptionally rare.

 

[unclemac]

here's a bigger one....100 kilos

 

[Plumbata]

Hah, I was contemplating being even more clear because someone might post the big modern gimmick coins that we've all seen. Since they're not old coins actually intended for circulation/exchange I don't think they really count. Certainly wouldn't mind having one though!

 

[DiamondDan]

Does anyone have a picture of what the "loof" looks like? I'm just curious. I did some searching, but nothing noteworthy came up.

 

[jeff of pa]

Hah, I was contemplating being even more clear because someone might post the big modern gimmick coins that we've all seen. Since they're not old coins actually intended for circulation/exchange I don't think they really count. Certainly wouldn't mind having one though!

Yes imo it's Sad for the 100 Kilo Coin.
That Will Never get Melted Down & will just go to Waste Forever,
Unless some enterprising Thief Steals it, Chops it up & sells it to Cash for gold.

 

[jeff of pa]

Does anyone have a picture of what the "loof" looks like? I'm just curious. I did some searching, but nothing noteworthy came up.

I should have Copied it When I found it on google.
It Disappeared from Google images right after I saw it & clicked on the 1st time.
I suppose it was 1 hit too many for the Owner .

 

[Plumbata]

I wonder if the large round holed coin is an example of a "loof", or if "loof" was an incorrect transcription of "loaf" and the 19th century authors assumed it was a round coin, when instead it was one of those big ingots that I think may be referred to as a "Nén-vàng" "Loaf of Gold", weighing 10 taels (39.05g/tael), with 390.5g not being too terribly far off from the weight of 315 gold dollars.



From: La Monnaie de Paris: The last secret in the heart of Paris finally opens its doors - Alain.R.Truong

Definitely seems to be an elusive coin to find a picture of.

 

[jeff of pa]

the one I found online , That I Thought was a Loof was Oval & Had a Ink Die design on it.

Turns out it May be the Japanese Obang Which would have been over 2 Ounces of Pure Gold



Which is Why I was having issues Recalling it up

 

[Plumbata]

I read that early-on, before Japan was opened and forced to adjust to the global economy (and globally recognized value of gold relative to silver), the Japanese valued silver very highly due to its beauty and lack of availability on the island, such that 3 units of Silver could be traded for 1 unit of Gold, which was extremely lucrative for those positioned to take advantage of it. I bet a bunch of those nice big gold coins got melted down as a result of this trade.

 

[jeff of pa]

I read that early-on, before Japan was opened and forced to adjust to the global economy (and globally recognized value of gold relative to silver), the Japanese valued silver very highly due to its beauty and lack of availability on the island, such that 3 units of Silver could be traded for 1 unit of Gold, which was extremely lucrative for those positioned to take advantage of it. I bet a bunch of those nice big gold coins got melted down as a result of this trade.

Yep ! May have Happened with the Loof.

Any that may still exist are Unknowns Now

 

[Davers]

here's a bigger one....100 kilos

If I had this coin , I def, be keeping my eye on the Gold market price. LOL

 

[unclemac]

the one I found online , That I Thought was a Loof was Oval & Had a Ink Die design on it.

Turns out it May be the Japanese Obang Which would have been over 2 Ounces of Pure Gold

View attachment 1638746

Now this is something i know a thing or two about. That is a Oban, not to be confused with a Koban, and they changed greatly with different issues, mintings and debasement. During the Meiji period The Japanese developed the "yen" which is a cognate for "round" and finally got onto everything western. Those Obans and Kobans are still quite plentiful in Japan but don't look for them on EBAY. For some reason YAHOO auction is the big thing over there. These coins go for silly amounts too, the Japanese have wages comparable to ours and if it is a "thing" over there, don't even put your hat in the ring. I have seen and held and lusted over 20 yen gold coins in Tokyo that go for over 100,000$...but i just can't justify that!

this should give you an idea of the mess their coinage was in (good article on Wikipedia)

 

[A2coins]

can you imagine finding that I would be looking around fod the candid camera crew I would whhel that baby home slice it like a pizza and sell it piece by piece lol