My son found a coin while arrowhead hunting the other day, he's not a big collector but has several coins and ask me to find out what this coin is worth. The coin is a Hong Kong dollar, it has a picture of queen victoria and spelled out as well on the front. The back has Hong kong, one dollar spelled out on the back. I do know they were only minted for three years 1866,1867,and 1868. Anyone know the value? Thank You, Donnie O'Brien
Hi Donnie and to CoinTalk. The primary source for information on world coins is the Standard Catalog of World Coins by Krause & Mishler, affectionately known as "Krause". Your nearest public library probably has at least one or two of the five (soon to be six) large city telephone book-sized volumes covering each century since 1601. In the 2001 19th Century 3rd Ed., the Hong Kong Dollar is listed in several varieties of circulation and proof coins, with reeded and plain edges, and one "overdate" where a "7" is stamped over a "6" at the end of the date. The value ranges from $165 in Fine grade (all three regular circulation dates) to $5,000 for the 1867 proof in pristine condition. Before you get too excited, "Fine" as a grade requires a bold design, with pleasing appearance, completely readable legends, and undamaged rims, with no gouges, scratches or other damage of the type usually found on coins which have been in the ground for an extended period of time. In typical "metal detector find" condition, it would only be worth a few dollars at most. If you can post pictures of both sides, we have members who can probably give you a very realistic estimate of whether a coin dealer would be likely to buy it, and if so, how much he would pay.
coin value Thanks very much for the quick reply. I will have my son bring it over and I will send a picture. Should I send the picture to you or post it somewhere on the forum. I just joined the forum today , I got a lot to learn. Again thanks a lot. Donnie O'Brien
My son said he would sell this coin for the right price. Do I need to post it somewhere else to sell it? Don't forget I am new to the forum. Thank you Donnie O'Brien
Hey Donnie Nice to see someone else in KY....it does look funny to me but since I don't collect this kind of coin I could be wrong. I would take it to a dealer near you that deals in world coins and let him see the coin in hand. Speedy
The very first step in counterfeit detection is to weigh the coin accurately. If you don't have a delicate enough scale, your neighborhood jeweler does. The official weight range is 26.9568-27.25 grams. A cast piece would probably weigh in at around 19-22g. Flunking the weight test is conclusive that the coin is one of the many fakes. There may well be more phony Hong Kong Dollars than real ones, unfortunately. Many are contemporary counterfeits, made to circulate as if they were real. The next test for any crown-sized coin, especially one that had Trade Dollar status in the Far East, is a careful examination of the surface, especially in the fields. A porous look or rough surface to the metal is indicative of casting and a smooth surface - possibly with detectable flow lines - would be the result of stamping pressure. The pictures aren't at a high enough resolution for me to form an opinion on the surfaces.
