This coin could land me in Chinese prison back in the early 90s. Tiananmen Square Incident.

Discussion in 'World Coins' started by Loong Siew, Jan 10, 2019.

  1. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    China. Tiananmen Massacre 1989. Berkeley International Student Society Freedom Dollar.

    Anti-communist stamp on Mexican Silver Dollar.

    20181018_112755.jpg

    This coin was issued by the Berkeley International Student society as a fund-raising attempt to support student activists displaced from the government military crackdown of the student activists demanding democracy in 1989.

    The incident known as the Tiananmen Square massacre was a major historical event which saw the use of the People's Army of China deploying tanks to crush student activists demanding democracy from the Communist Government under Deng Xiaoping. Whilst it started as a peaceful demonstration at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the demonstration started gathering wide appeal and involvement especially among the students which lasted months. The students movement started gathering momentum, largely from foreign support and ignored the government's warning to disperse.

    Eventually on June 1989, the government proceeded to adopt military action when the students refused to budge. This was seen as a severe act to prevent and stem a student revolution which could spread across the nation at a time when China started it's modernisation efforts not long after the end of Mao's regime. The crackdown saw as many as 10,000 deaths and many more injured which became known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre which was a significant event of international coverage.

    tienanmen-massacre-gty-jpo-180531_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg
    Many of the student leaders involved became public enemies and fled in exile to the west where they received aid such as the proceedings from sale of these coins. These coins were believed to be sold for a slight profit by a slight premium above junk silver and carrying anti- communist propaganda by the Society through underground facilities both inside and outside of China for a short time. The clandestine nature of it's issue and limited supplies meant that very limited quantities exists. Needless to say, having these on hand especially back then were viewed as pro-separatists and may land one in trouble with the authorities.
     
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  3. ManfredNam

    ManfredNam Non-functioning

    Thank you for posting this interesting coin.
     
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  4. Randy Abercrombie

    Randy Abercrombie Supporter! Supporter

    Oh man.... I remember that like it was yesterday...... Problem is, I can't remember yesterday....
     
  5. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    You're welcome.. It's a coin with a story to tell..
     
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  6. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    How does one get one? Are there any available?
     
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  7. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    Very cool. I think any collector would be happy to own such a history-connected piece.
     
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  8. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Used to be a couple.. but now very scarce
     
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  9. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    yeah . I don't usually like chopmark coins but this is an exception. the underlying coin is junk but the chopmarks add another dimension to it..
     
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  10. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Recently 1 was sold at Spinks for around 1k
     
  11. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    From what I can see through the over striked design , it appears the underlying Peso is of the Cap and Rays design obverse with the eagle on a cactus clutching a snake reverse, last minted in 1945, I believe. I have a few of those.
     
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  12. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    I like chop marks. I have some French Indo China Piasters with chops.
     
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  13. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Yes.. You're right.. the underlying coin is the common Cap and rays design albeit very worn and circulated..The society deliberately used these worn junk silver coins with very low costs to sell at a profit margin as a fund-raising scheme.
     
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  14. Seattlite86

    Seattlite86 Outspoken Member

    If you know where more can be found at low prices, please send me a link.
     
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  15. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    If I do come across. Though they are often offered at auctions now
     
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  16. gxseries

    gxseries Coin Collector

    Here are some of mine. I did miss getting Mexican cap. Yours is perhaps the nicest example that I have seen. Nice one Loong!

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    The envelop that the coins came in

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    These were struck when Chinese silver coins were considered junk and were sold as scrap metal at one stage. French Indo piastre and Mexican pesos were used as they were used in commerce back then.
     
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  17. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks @gxseries .. I can't compare to yours.. you have a few.. I only have 1.. haha
     
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  18. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    Excellent coins, gx ! I have several FIC Piastres, 1 Fatman, and none of the Dragon and Pearl, all of which are currently very collectable and carry a very nice premium, and I have none of the China Freedom Dollars, which, normally, if something is done to deface a collector coin, it radically lowers the value, but in this case, I think the addition of the China Freedom markings and the Tiananmen Square connection, actually increases the collectibility and value.

    Again, excellent coins, and I'm very envious.
     
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  19. gxseries

    gxseries Coin Collector

    The other three Chinese coins that I have are all from Kiangnan Province (Jiangnan). Kinda figured Guangdong (Kwangtung) Province would have been more common but again I'm sure the students back then grabbed whatever they could get their hands on. Kinda puzzled that no Japanese yen were used - perhaps I haven't seen enough examples yet.

    Link to Spinks

    https://www.coinworld.com/news/worl...with-u-s-connection-promotes-freedom.all.html

    Hard of hard to say no if someone is prepared to pay THAT much...
     
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  20. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    [....the piece sold for a $1,080, including the 20 percent buyer’s fee.]

    Hey gx, when you think about those 3 coins of yours and that the underlying original coins trade with collectors for about $100.00 each, that is QUITE an increase in value, all attributable to the Tiananmen/Freedom Dollar connection.
    Great stuff !!
     
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  21. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    [ gx said : Kinda puzzled that no Japanese yen were used ]

    If you think about the size of those 3 coins of yours versus the size of a Japanese silver yen, that may be why. My silver yen coins are less than the size of those.

    Also, the coins stamped were all used as Trade Dollars in the years before the Communists took over. Maybe that had something to do with the choices made concerning coins used.

    Just guessing.
     
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