I found the pictured Chinese coin in an encampment occupied by Chinese railroad workers back in the 1800's. I have not attempted to clean it with other than soap and water, as I don't know its value. Does anyone have any idea what something like this is worth? :rollling:
Hard to say with all the encrustation, but basically, these coins are common. You can buy very nice, genuine pieces much better than this from reputable dealers who are ANA members for a couple of dollars each to several for a dollar, depending on the details and grade. Coins from the 1300s to 1500s tend to bring a dollar to a few dolalrs more, but they are typically common, much like a US coin from the 1800s or 1900s.
[Hard to say with all the encrustation, but basically, these coins are common. You can buy very nice, genuine pieces much better than this from reputable dealers who are ANA members for a couple of dollars each to several for a dollar, depending on the details and grade. Coins from the 1300s to 1500s tend to bring a dollar to a few dolalrs more, but they are typically common, much like a US coin from the 1800s or 1900s.] Thank you for your comprehensive answer. So, I think I'll go ahead and clean it and just keep it for my collection of old coins. Your comments about coins from the 1300's and 1500's are interesting. I suppose coins like that are found all the time in China, and therefore are as common as Roman coins are in GB.
The coin needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise to be properly orientated. The inscription reads qian long tong bao which means the coin was cast during the years 1736-1795 of the reign of Emperor Gao Zong of the Qing (Ch'ing) Dynasty (1644-1911). The inscription on the reverse side of your coin indicates that it was cast at the Board of Revenue mint. A similar coin cast at a different mint may be seen here. Gary
Wow! That's pretty exciting. Is the coin worth anything? Thanks for your comments and sharing your knowledge concerning this coin.
