I have a nice-looking brass Xian Feng Zhong Bao 5 cash, Boo De (Chengde, Zhili mint) 27.9mm, 7.9g. Hartill only lists an iron version of this coin (H22.1059), and I don't have any other reference work. Has anyone come across a brass version, or is this an attractive fake?
ls8driver, I would judge it a fake. I have a number of reference books in Chinese and they only show iron versions of this coin. The only brass versions would be the "mother coins".
I was afraid someone would say that, so the coin is already in the "fakes" section of my collection (although I call them replicas). :headbang:
In my newly acquired Krause SCWC (5th Ed) the brass coin is listed as C#6.2 Maybe I'll have to relocate my coin. Any comments?
ls8driver, I tend to rely on Chinese sources as the authoritative references on old Chinese coins and charms. According to these texts, the only brass specimen of this coin is a "mother coin" which would have been the hand-carved model used for the casting of the iron coins. Some of these Chinese references use a system to indicate rarity. This brass "mother coin" is rated a "one shang" which would make it the rarest of the rare. One Chinese reference notes that a rarity of "one shang" means there is only one specimen known to exist. As I view the images of your coin, I do not see any of the classic characteristics of a "mother coin". But, I certainly am not an expert in this field and I am only passing along the above information for your consideration. Gary
Hi Gary. I agree that this coin certainly does not have the quality to be a mother coin. I will leave it in my Replicas section with a note and a qustion mark. Cheers Richard
