Size comparizon of Wang Mang spade coin vs. denarius, tetradrachm, and Ptolemaic bronze

A couple of you were interested in seeing the size difference between my Wang Mang Huo Bu spade coin, and currency you were more familiar with.

So for your benefit, here is a 100% to scale comparison between the bronze Huo Bu spade coin (one of the most common and most affordable Chinese spade coins available in the marketplace) and other common coins members here should recognize.

1: Ptolemy IV AE40 (40mm)
2. Alexander III Tetradrachm minted under Seleukos I (26.67mm)
3. Julius Caesar denarius (19mm)
4. Kay Yuang Tong Bao (standard coin of the Tang dynasty) (24.5mm)

The spade coin is 58mm x 22mm. Obviously it won't fit in a 2x2, so I have a special display box on it's way to display this coin I'll just put it next to my coin box in the safety deposit box. Anyway, enjoy!

* A special note: After several months inside paper 2x2, some of my more cleaned and shinny ancient silver coins are showing the beginnings of pink hues on their surfaces. I expected toning, but nothing that fast.

*Also, I have more Chinese coins to share with all of you soon. Yay!

 

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Well, you're in Florida, so that brings its own challenges and changes to your coins. The only one time I was there I was simply amazed at the weather! If you want to be safe buy some silica gel packets and liberally spread them amongst your safety deposit boxes. And make sure to rotate them, drying them out in your oven. They last forever (as far as I know).

 

I don't think I'm going to do anything as far as the toning. I don't like shinny, so let it tone if it wants to. I don't mind seeing rainbow toning and "cabinet toning" developing over a the next decade or two, instead of all that shinny stuff.

I'm probably going to do a by-yearly inspection of the bronze stuff for signs of BD, but as long as there is none of that then I'm not too worried.

 

I'm a big fan of silica gel since I still have a residual collection of WWII rifles. Really quite important to check and maintain those. But I still use it for the coins as well. Just a precaution, and it doesnt hurt.

 

i actually kind of pictured them as being larger!

i have a special box i keep large, strange shaped stuff that wont fit into a 2x2 flip. and every box with coins gets it's on silica pack, then the box i keep my coin boxes in gets a silica pack or two...lol.

hey, that reminds me...i have an old rifle i need to get out and do some checking on.

 

Some of the spades are pretty huge, though the later ones are pretty tiny in comparison.

 

I recently watched the Chinese movie Hero, and in one scene Jet Li's character hands a few of the spade coins to an old man to play music while he fought, and I was surprised by how small they were; they didn't look much larger than your typical cash coin. I'm not really into Chinese coins (but I have a couple of cash coins), so I dont know how accurate they were with the size, but I'm sure someone here would have an idea.

 

I like composite images like that, that give you a sense of the differing dimensions, very cool!

 

I've seen 'em big and I've seen 'em small. That's the extent of my expertise!

 

Where I'm at the summer humidity is literally a killer. Silica gel is a must if you're a variety collector, silver, bronze, copper, ect...ect....
I use both the aluminum silica containers and 30mg pouches. Depending on how much I get my coins out decides how long they stay charged, pop them in the oven to recharge. As long as you don't cook them they last forever (don't put them in the oven & forget about them and don't exceed the top temperature).

@Sallent
Them spade coins, I don't envy the people who had to carry pocket change back in the day

 

A very informative comparison, thanks for sharing that.