Latest Ship Coin

Picked this up for one dollar - figure it was a good deal. Guy didn't know the date.

Can someone tell me if it is 1933 or 1934?

Considering the mint numbers it's probably 34 but I have no idea.

When these were restruck into "junk dollars" by the US in 1949, did they stamp them right over the old coin image?

Thanks

Darryl

 

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The date is Republic Year 22, which is 1933. I don't have the expertise to be certain either way, but there are far more counterfeits than genuine examples of this coin. Have you confirmed the weight, which is the first step in authentication of any coin that is subject to extensive Chinese "post-production"?

I think you have confused "restrike" (striking new coins with old dated dies) with "overstrike" (adding new legends/designs to existing coins).

In 1949 the US Mint used original dies supplied by the Chinese Nationalist government on Taiwan to strike thousands of misdated new coins, it didn't stamp anything on top of existing coins.

The coin itself is referred to as a "junk dollar" because the reverse design includes a depiction of a Chinese Junk sailing ship, and the 1 Yuan denomination is the Chinese equivalent of a 1 dollar denomination. The designation has nothing to do with what we now call "junk silver", meaning coins worth no more than their bullion value.

 

Tomorrow I will weigh it at work as this was something I was concerned with as well.

Thank you for the clarification. That makes much more sense!

When you say "misdated" what exactly do you mean? Krause book said something like 30 million were restruck.

So, would these be 30 million more of the same coin as the year 23 coin?

Thanks

Darryl

 

That also makes more sense now. I have seen the term used for different denominations of coins which had me a little confused as to the connection. :smile

Learning as I go, glad to keep my exposure to a minimum. Even if it's fake, for a buck it would be my first in my small but growing collection.

Darryl

 

Since the bullion value of a genuine junk dollar is only slightly less than the $9 or so bullion value of a Morgan/Peace your purchase price couldn't help raising my suspicions.

The date on the coin isn't the date it was struck. Kind of like the Maria Therese thalers struck this year in Austria, with the original date on them. :kewl:

Off the top of my head I don't recall whether they used '33 and '34 dies, or only '33s, but either way the restrike dies were not reworked so the original date(s) remained.

 

The price considering the silver content also made me wonder. I wasn't sure what the silver value would be but figured it to be more than $1. Again, either way I will be OK with the small investment.

Thank you for clearing up my other questions.

Darryl

 

that is quite the coin there!

 

As you say for a buck even if it is a forgery not a bad buy :thumb:

De Orc :kewl:

 

If it is a forgery I will go down to my local coin dealer and buy an original. It would be an interesting part of my collection and a great way to learn a little more about the differences between real and fake coins. That's a lesson worth learning!

Thanks

Darryl

 

If you are collecting coins with (Sail)boats on them take a look at Commens

1892 Words Columbian Exposition
1920-1921 Pilgram Tercentenary
1924 Huguenot-Wallon Tercentenary
1935 Hudson Sesquicentennial
1936 Long Island Tercentenary
1936 Delaware Tercentenary

1992, there were Two different specimens


Also, ""Hard Times, Private Tokens"
L66,HT24 Agriculture and Commerce
L59,HT17

I'm sure there are more.... Especially, if you start looking at Non-US too...

 

Thanks Smullen! 1892 Words Columbian Exposition coin was posted in the contest I ran. There are some nice examples on ebay. I will have to look the rest up. I have also seen some of the tokens and they are generally really nice designs.

Best Regards,

Darryl

 

The bad news is the weight: .046 pounds = 20.865349 grams

The coin should have weighed slightly less than 26.7 grams considering the wear on the coin.

I still have not decided what I am going to communicate to the seller. As I want to keep the coin but protect other buyers.

So, another first. My first fake coin. Now the quest to find a real one to keep this guy company. :smile

Darryl

 

That is a shame but at least now you know, good luck with finding a genuine one.

De Orc :thumb:

 

The three US mints and the Mexico City mint struck a lot of coins for Nationalist China in 1949, including the "boat" or "junk" dollars.

The San Francisco mint struck 2,000,000 Mexico pesos for China but they were never delivered.

 

Thanks for the history. Certainly the questions that come up are:

1. Why was the US Mint producing coins for China?
2. Using Old Chinese Dies?
3. Using Mexico Peso Dies?

It seems like a very odd business transaction.

 

The US Mint has contracted with many countries over the years to produce coins for them. The Chiang Kai Shek Nationalist Chinese Government, which had been driven off the mainland to Taiwan by the Communists, was an official government at the time.

Because those were the dies their customers gave them to use in fuilfilling an order.

I don't know where the dies came from, but Mexican silver pesos were one of the world's major trade currencies right up until fairly recent years, circulating in Asia alongside Japanese Yen/Trade Dollars, Austrian Maria Theresa Thalers, British Trade/Hongkong dollars, and Morgans among others.

 

American Samoa had some medal-coins struck to commemorate the America's Cup back in either the late 1980's or early 1990's.

Bermuda has a sailing boat on its $1 coin.The British Caribbean Territories (Eastern Group) depicted Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind on their 5c.,10c.,& 25c. coins.The East Carribean States also depict the Golden Hind on their 5c.,10c.,& 25c. coins.

The Pitcairn Islands $1 coins of 1988-90 depicts H.M.S. Bounty,which was taken over in the infamous mutiny & burnt on Pitcairn Island.

Aidan.

 

Here is a 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition coin, incase you haven't seen one

John

 

My website has an article on the coins struck for China in 1949 which should answer the poster's questions.

 

Thank you, this would have answered many questions I had when I started. Two coins I have touched recently the Chinese boat coin and the 8 reales. Very good information... Thank you for the post!