Chinese Coin Date Range ??

winslow · Feb 5, 2016

Man I have so much trouble figuring out the date range on these coins. There are several reference sites on the internet and I even bought a set of Chinese replica coins that are nicely arranged by date. I still can't identify this with any degree of confidence. :BangHead:

The way they get worn and comparing the symbols to an original picture is tough. Anybody want to give it a shot? Am I missing an easier way to identify these ? :icon_scratch:

This coin was found a brand new location for me so I'm curious how far back it goes.

A2coins · Feb 5, 2016

Nice coin I found a similar coin a 1945 just a guess.

Mackaydon · Feb 5, 2016

It resembles this coin:

Emperor Hsuan Tsung AD 1821-1850
Reverse: "BOO CIOWAN" (Board of Revenue mint). The Manchu mint name translates to Pao-Ch'uan, or "The Fountain head of the Currency". as here:

Don......

Tyberos · Feb 5, 2016

Hello, Chinese speaker here. You don't have to match symbols anymore, because I'll give them to you. 嘉慶通寶. Pronounced Jiāqìng tōng bǎo. If this is a genuine coin, it is a Qing Dynasty coin cast in the years 1796-1820 CE, during the reign of Emperor Renzong, but more commonly known as Jiaqing Emperor. I don't know anything about authenticating coins, but I would not be surprised if it is a replica. More information about this coin can be found HERE and HERE.

Tyberos · Feb 5, 2016

Sorry, MackayDon, it's definitely a different coin. The coin you posted says Dao Guang Tong Bao. The one the original poster has is Jia Qing Tong Bao.

winslow · Feb 5, 2016

Tyberos said:
Hello, Chinese speaker here. You don't have to match symbols anymore, because I'll give them to you. 嘉慶通寶. Pronounced Jiāqìng tōng bǎo. If this is a genuine coin, it is a Qing Dynasty coin cast in the years 1796-1820 CE, during the reign of Emperor Renzong, but more commonly known as Jiaqing Emperor. I don't know anything about authenticating coins, but I would not be surprised if it is a replica. More information about this coin can be found HERE and HERE.

Thanks for your assistance! Here is a pic of the fake coins I bought at a museum for $5.00 to help me research Chinese coins. I wonder why the 1796-1820 time frame states "Chia-ching". No explanation provided with these reproductions.

This coin was found in an area that was heavily populated in the 1850's and 1860's with Chinese miners during the gold rush so I have no reason to think it would be a reproduction. Dug a lot of square nails and period junk in the same location.

Tyberos · Feb 5, 2016

Do you mean to ask why there is a different spelling? Jia and Chia? Qing and Ching? The majority of Chinese speakers and learners nowadays use the "pinyin" spelling of Mandarin, first proposed by the PRC government in the 1950s. Jia and Qing are the standardized spellings now. The "Chia-Ching" in your included photograph is the same coin.

Regarding reproduction; the Chinese have been knocking off coins since the first coins were struck. It's absolutely possible it's a genuine coin, but it's also possible that it was a knock-off produced around the same time frame. It looks worn enough, for sure. The reason I think it is a knock off is because it looks like it is missing its mint mark on the obverse. But I'm no expert, just a Chinese speaker.