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<p>[QUOTE="Clinker, post: 785267, member: 6229"]<font face="Arial">What are those small stampings on some Spanish 8 Reales, Mexican Pesos, and English or USA Trade Dollars? Are they what some coin dealers refer to as Chinese <b><i>Chop Marks</i></b>? </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">Yes, but, those who struck those <b><i>Chop Marks</i></b> didn't use that term. Those who appledthe stampings simply called them <b><i>Chops </i></b>or <b><i>Marks</i></b> as did those who accepted the coins stamped coins as legal tender. Those struck by India based banks are called <b><i>Shroffs</i></b>.</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">What are they? There are three answers to this question:</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">(1) Most are authentication assurances by a bank, merchant, local political leader or a national government agent as to the worth of the coin. Area tradesmen, farmers, bankers and Chinese government assayers weigh, measure and read the text of the issuing country to determine the value of the coin just as if the coin was an ingot. The authentication <b><i>Mark</i></b> or <b><i>Chop</i></b> is accepted by everyone who knows the <b><i>Chop </i></b>applier. As the coin circulates throughout a country (i.e. China - Kwangtung, Fujien, Schezuan, Taiwan, etc.) or to another country, like Burma, Manchuria, India, Tibet and other neighboring nations, other <b><i>Chops</i></b> are applied. These <b><i>Chops </i></b>may contain one, two or three characters.</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">Some <b><i>Chops</i></b> are not Chinese characters, but an English letter like Y or F being the first letter of the verifying person's surname. Most usually a missionary schooled person or a foreigner operating a business inside China or a neighboring country.</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="2"> </font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><font size="2">(</font><font size="3">2) Some <b><i>Chops</i></b></font><font size="3"> were applied by merchants who kowtowed to superstitions. They wanted <i>good fortune</i> to smile on them so they <b><i>sealed </i></b></font><font size="3">the transaction with wholesale suppliers or retail customers by stamping <i>good luck </i>symbolson the coins involved in the purchase or sale. These symbols can be an animal, bird, honey bee, fish or a flower.</font></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">(3) If any <b><i>Chop </i></b>on your coin is round and doesn't make a hole through your coin it is an assay test <b><i>Mark</i></b>. To assure the coin is not silver plated and/or a counterfeit, an assayer or banker will cut out a small piece to verify the coin is genuine and composed of silver and not a base metal plated with silver before affixing their <b><i>Chop</i></b> to the coins. As silver readily oxidises, some coins will receive more than one assay test <b><i>Mark</i></b> on its surfaces. Note: Other metal compositions (bronze, copper, nickel) may have <b><i>Chops</i></b> on them too.</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">Here's some photos of coins bearing a <b><i>Chop </i></b>or more:</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>Courtesy of Coin Page</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u></u><a href="http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3111" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3111" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3111</a></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u></u><a href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-5330.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-5330.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-5330.html</a></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>1798 Spanish 8 Reales w/Character Chops on both sides plus an assayer cut on obverse</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><br /></u> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>Courtesy of Coin Archives (18 coins)</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u></u><a href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/results.php?search=Chop+Mark&s=0&results=100" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.coinarchives.com/w/results.php?search=Chop+Mark&s=0&results=100" rel="nofollow">http://www.coinarchives.com/w/results.php?search=Chop+Mark&s=0&results=100</a></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><i>USA 1875 Trade Dollar</i></u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><i> </i></u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><i></i>Courtesy of Gov Mint</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><i> </i></u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><i></i></u><a href="http://www.govmint.com/item/United-States-Chopmark-Trade-Dollar-XF/11703/51" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.govmint.com/item/United-States-Chopmark-Trade-Dollar-XF/11703/51" rel="nofollow">http://www.govmint.com/item/United-States-Chopmark-Trade-Dollar-XF/11703/51</a></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>1798 Spanish 8 Reales w/Chops on both sides plus an assayers cut on obverse</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>Courtesy of Metal Detecting</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u></u><a href="http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=418313" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=418313" rel="nofollow">http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=418313</a></font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>1876-S USA Trade Dollar w/ many chops</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u>Courtesy of Coins Daily</u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><a href="http://coinsdaily.com/coinblog/2009/08/23/the-trade-dollar/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://coinsdaily.com/coinblog/2009/08/23/the-trade-dollar/" rel="nofollow">http://coinsdaily.com/coinblog/2009/08/23/the-trade-dollar/</a></u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u> </u></font></p><p><font face="Arial"><u><br /></u> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">Thought you should know...</font></p><p><font face="Arial"> </font></p><p><font face="Arial">Clinker</font></p><p><font face="Arial"></font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Clinker, post: 785267, member: 6229"][FONT=Arial]What are those small stampings on some Spanish 8 Reales, Mexican Pesos, and English or USA Trade Dollars? Are they what some coin dealers refer to as Chinese [B][I]Chop Marks[/I][/B][I][/I]? Yes, but, those who struck those [B][I]Chop Marks[/I][/B][I][/I] didn't use that term. Those who appledthe stampings simply called them [B][I]Chops [/I][/B][I][/I]or [B][I]Marks[/I][/B][I][/I] as did those who accepted the coins stamped coins as legal tender. Those struck by India based banks are called [B][I]Shroffs[/I][/B][I][/I]. What are they? There are three answers to this question: (1) Most are authentication assurances by a bank, merchant, local political leader or a national government agent as to the worth of the coin. Area tradesmen, farmers, bankers and Chinese government assayers weigh, measure and read the text of the issuing country to determine the value of the coin just as if the coin was an ingot. The authentication [B][I]Mark[/I][/B][I][/I] or [B][I]Chop[/I][/B][I][/I] is accepted by everyone who knows the [B][I]Chop [/I][/B][I][/I]applier. As the coin circulates throughout a country (i.e. China - Kwangtung, Fujien, Schezuan, Taiwan, etc.) or to another country, like Burma, Manchuria, India, Tibet and other neighboring nations, other [B][I]Chops[/I][/B][I][/I] are applied. These [B][I]Chops [/I][/B][I][/I]may contain one, two or three characters. Some [B][I]Chops[/I][/B] are not Chinese characters, but an English letter like Y or F being the first letter of the verifying person's surname. Most usually a missionary schooled person or a foreigner operating a business inside China or a neighboring country. [SIZE=2] ([/SIZE][SIZE=3]2) Some [B][I]Chops[/I][/B][I][/i][/SIZE][I][/I][SIZE=3] were applied by merchants who kowtowed to superstitions. They wanted [I]good fortune[/I] to smile on them so they [B][I]sealed [/I][/B][I][/i][/SIZE][I][/I][SIZE=3]the transaction with wholesale suppliers or retail customers by stamping [I]good luck [/I]symbolson the coins involved in the purchase or sale. These symbols can be an animal, bird, honey bee, fish or a flower.[/SIZE] (3) If any [B][I]Chop [/I][/B][I][/I]on your coin is round and doesn't make a hole through your coin it is an assay test [B][I]Mark[/I][/B][I][/I]. To assure the coin is not silver plated and/or a counterfeit, an assayer or banker will cut out a small piece to verify the coin is genuine and composed of silver and not a base metal plated with silver before affixing their [B][I]Chop[/I][/B][I][/I] to the coins. As silver readily oxidises, some coins will receive more than one assay test [B][I]Mark[/I][/B][I][/I] on its surfaces. Note: Other metal compositions (bronze, copper, nickel) may have [B][I]Chops[/I][/B][I][/I] on them too. Here's some photos of coins bearing a [B][I]Chop [/I][/B][I][/I]or more: [U] Courtesy of Coin Page [/U][URL]http://www.coinpage.com/large.php?tImageId=3111[/URL] [U] [/U][URL]http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-5330.html[/URL] [U]1798 Spanish 8 Reales w/Character Chops on both sides plus an assayer cut on obverse [/U] [U]Courtesy of Coin Archives (18 coins) [/U][URL]http://www.coinarchives.com/w/results.php?search=Chop+Mark&s=0&results=100[/URL] [U] [I]USA 1875 Trade Dollar [/I]Courtesy of Gov Mint [I] [/I][/U][URL]http://www.govmint.com/item/United-States-Chopmark-Trade-Dollar-XF/11703/51[/URL] [U]1798 Spanish 8 Reales w/Chops on both sides plus an assayers cut on obverse Courtesy of Metal Detecting [/U][URL]http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=418313[/URL] [U]1876-S USA Trade Dollar w/ many chops Courtesy of Coins Daily [URL]http://coinsdaily.com/coinblog/2009/08/23/the-trade-dollar/[/URL] [/U] Thought you should know... Clinker [/FONT][/QUOTE]
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