Just received ex the collection of George Fisher (of Fisher's Ding fame) is this Gia Long Thong Bao. It is in George's 2x2 holder, with his calligraphy. He has written 30% silver, 15% gold - I assume he means the composition of the coin. It is fairly crudely cast - the characters are not well formed, and the dot on the reverse is hard to see, although it is definitely present. There is no sign of wear or any corrosion. The metal has a pale yellowish tone which does not show up well on the scan. Diameter about 23mm, weight about 2.0g. Has anyone seen a similar coin or got any ideas about it? :computer:
It's Nguyen dynasty first emperor Gia Long (1802-1819) cash coin, with star (or dot) on reverse. It is brass (copper + zinc and other alloy) but not 30% silver, 15% gold. There are 4 varieties, with dot appearing at any of the 4 sides of the square hole in center.
The attribution of the coin was not in question - it's quite correctly stated on the holder. My query is to why someone knowledgeable about coins like George Fisher would note gold and silver content on what is normally a brass coin. Also, has anyone else seen a pale yellowish coloured coin like this? Normal brass coins have a redder colour cast.
