Hello all, I just got another batch of coins and was attracted to this copper material. The first coin in this batch is this 1877 cent from Hong Kong. It may not have the rarity or high price of its USA counterpart but it is a healthy original looking type coin for my collection. I believe this piece has previously been sanitized with Acetone & coated with Blue Ribbon. It has that oiled appearance. I plan to leave it alone & just re-holder it.
The second copper in this batch is a Conder Token. The obverse has the helmeted bust of Sir Bevois and the words PROMISSORY HALFPENNY. The reverse depicts a nice sailing ship and the words PRO BONO PUBLICO. There are a few sales for this token on the internet so it does appear to be a more common & popular piece. The story of Sir Bevois was supposedly told by minstrels and storytellers until the 17th century. I had not heard the story until now. According to the story, Sir Bevois, was sold to slave merchants by his mother. The legend describes his adventures and heroic deeds accompanied by his giant page Ascupart. He has a magic sword named Mortglay and a magical horse named Hirondelle. In the story, he falls in love with a Muslim princess named Josian and fights lions to defend her. He Returns to England to reclaim his father's land and founds the city of Southampton. This legendary tale is told on this BBC Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshi...s/arts_and_culture/newsid_8481000/8481274.stm
The third copper in the batch is a very high relief medal from Switzerland. It has the date July 1890. (I promise to take better care of this medal than did the previous owners). The obverse legend says EIDGENOSSISCHES SCHUTZENFEST IN FRAUENFELD and Juli 1890. In hand, it has the chocolate color of toned copper and not so bronze as depicted in my photo.
Lastly, is this Ho-Nan China 200 cash from about 1928. I think it is Y-396 and I believe it grades EF. This is a huge 42mm copper coin. I had never seen one of these large 200 cash coins until now. There are poorly struck areas on the coin that I believe are indicative of method of manufacture so I don’t believe they take away from the grade. The coin still has some underlying red in the protected areas. A copper coin this large & soft would certainly be damaged if it circulated much. Maybe some of our China coin experts can comment on this coin. There was a recent thread that asked about grading Asian coins. Do you all think I am correct with the grade of EF for type?