Hello all, I'm doing my best to attribute a few Chinese cash coins, and I've come across one I feel like I need some more opinions on. I'm currently away from my camera setup (family emergency) so iPhone pics will have to do for the time being. I believe it to be Y405.1, Republic of China (Hupeh Province) Year 3 (1914) 50 Cash. NGC has the listing here (no photos) and Numista has it here (with photos.) If genuine, looks like a really nice junk bin pickup. What do you think, do I have it attributed correctly, and is it genuine? Thank you, and have a great weekend.
I believe your coin is from Szechuan province and not Hupeh Province. Szechuan https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide...-449.2a-21913-31914-cuid-1047441-duid-1288690 Hupeh https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide...-cash-y-405.1-71918-cuid-1046772-duid-1292161
Thank you - I feel like mine is pretty much a match for the Szechuan province coin (at least in terms of what I can see of the symbols on each side.) Your link for Hupeh is definitely not it though (the reverse center symbols are markedly different, mine has the "3" at the bottom of the center) - but it doesn't really matter if mine is from Szechuan and not Hupeh.
Yeah, the characters in the center of your coin on the side with the flower say: Made by the Provincial Army Szechuan / Copper coin The Hupeh one says: Made by the Military government Hupeh / Copper coin
It is indeed from Szechuan province. Still a good 10 - 20 dollar coin. Hupeh coin of this type is usually found in much poorer condition and is less common, thus the higher price. 四川 - Szechuan / Sichuan 湖北 - Hupeh / Hubei
I swear I have one in my collection and I finally found it Who knows what it would sell for today. I reckon it's still worth a couple of hundred even in this horrible condition.
I had to do some digging of what I paid then. About 10 years ago and it was mere 25 dollars. I recall this was when I noticed Chinese coin prices were taking off and just bought whatever that I could with little budget that I had and that included holed, damaged, corroded etc. Today some of the Chinese coins that I purchased don't even appear in the market or command some absurd prices.
I learned that lesson when I found that 1932 Birds over Junk Dollar for silver melt. Guide was nowhere close to what it went for. Same thing with stuff like the coin I posted here - can pick 10-20 from the dealer junk bin for a quarter each, put them in the auction and they bring $8-25 (and one went absolutely crazy, few hundred dollars, and I had no idea what it was - turned out to be some scarce mule. Again, paid a quarter for it, so I didn't spend too much time beating myself up for not knowing what it was.)
