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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;kaparthy, post: 1971246, member: 57463&quot;]See my review of the new Gullberg book here:</p><p><a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/new-book-on-chopmarked-coins.250400/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/new-book-on-chopmarked-coins.250400/">https://www.cointalk.com/threads/new-book-on-chopmarked-coins.250400/</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Medoraman is not exactly correct.&nbsp; Merchants did not stamp coins so that <b>they</b> would know them. That myth came from the 1920 Britannica article written by Charles Seltman who advocated his own theory that coins were invented when merchants stamped nuggets of electrum.&nbsp; In fact, the purpose of trade is exchange: once the coin leaves, it is not coming home...&nbsp; Try it yourself with &quot;Where&#039;s George?&quot;&nbsp; the online registry for circulating paper dollars.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>If you read this history - and others - you will see that often, chopmarked coins were bagged and never examined again.&nbsp; That counters the theory that the stamps were meant to identify the &quot;shroff&quot; or money-changer.&nbsp; IN fact, according to Gullberg only <b>one </b>chopmark has ever been identified with a specific merchant, the British tea seller Tait &amp; Co.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>Chopmarks are fascinating.&nbsp; They are an example of an historical custom from a time and place, China and East Asia, c. 1600 to 1935.&nbsp; Yes, you can find other kinds of counter-stamps. Chopmarks are neither unique nor unprecedented in the broad history of commerce.&nbsp; They are however a thing in and of themselves for their time and place, different from other kinds of counter-stamps.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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