An 1803-FT Silver 8 Reales, minted at Casa de Moneda de México, Mexico City, Mexico. This is more than just several countermarks. Looks like a test piece for something but I'm not sure what. Anyone seen anything like this before?
Chop marks. Coins in China were marked by merchants with their respective stamp. A lot of trade Dollars have them as well. I guess it was a way of authenticating the coin.
ok.. thank you very much. I didn't have to look very far to find this; Starting in the 18th century, several European, American, and Japanese silver coins (generically known as the trade dollar) began circulating in the Far East. Each merchant's firm had its mark, and after heavy circulation, the chop marks completely obliterated the coin's design.
Me too. At first, I thought it was some scrap silver coin (though it didn't look scrap) used to test different punches. It seemed so haphazard. Now that I know what it is, I have a new appreciation for it.
The more widely it circulated in China, the more wear and chop marks it acquired. There are some truly abysmal specimens.