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All items guaranteed tobe genuine. I have over 40 years experience with Chinesecoins and buy only from reliable suppliers in the United States.

ANCIENTCHINESE KNIFE COIN

Chinese coins were manufactured by being cast in molds, whereas European coins were typically cut and hammered or, in later times, milled. Chinese coins were usually made from mixtures of metals such copper, tin and lead, from bronze, brass or iron: precious metals like gold and silver were uncommonly used. The ratios and purity of the coin. Advanced Chinese bronze workmanship gave the necessary technology for the accurate casting of coins. As many as 80 coins were cast at a time using a mold made of clay, stone, brass or sand. The individual coin molds were interconnected in the form of a 'coin tree'. These types of Chinese coins saw their greatest development in the period between 770 and 476 BC in the so-called “Warring Period”. Instead between 771 and 250 BC was produced a coin in the shape of a “shovel chan” an ancient agricultural tool very useful which gave the coin a certain popularity. The first coin on this list comes as no surprise to many. The Year 23 (1934) “Junk” Dollar, named for the ship on its reverse is among the most abundant of all Chinese Republic silver dollar-sized issues. Well over 100 million were struck, including 30 million minted in 1949, but all dated Year 23, by United States Mints.

Knives were a common barter item in ancient China, but a bithazardousto carry around to trade. Some of China's first coins were made to looklike a knife, so that people would think of them as money, but theylacked a sharp blade. A hole was included for easy stringing. Thisknife coin is called the 'Ming' after the city where it was made (notthe dynasty that was much later). It dates from about 400BC to225BC and was widely used in northeastern China. Itis made of bronze and is about 5 inches (13cm.)long.

EARLYANCIENT CHINESE COIN

ThePan Liang (Ban Liang) was the first unified currency ofChina. It was a cast round uniface copper coin with a squarehole with the two characters 'Pan Liang', which roughly translates as'half ounce' The coin was introduced about 210BC with aweight of 12 Shu. About 175BC it was officially reduced to 4 Shu, thenlater to 3 Shu. The basic design of a round, cast coin with asquare hole became the standard that China continued to use for over2000 years! Considering its age, it is a remarkablyinexpensive coin.

THEREMARKABLE WU-CH'U COIN

In118BC Emperor Yuan-shou withdrew the Pan-Liangcoin and introduced a new coin, called the Wu Ch'u (Wu Zhu) worth 5Shu. Unlike the earlier Pan Liang coins it had a raised rimto prevent filing. The coin proved quite popular, and exceptfor the Wang Mang interregnum, it continued to be issued in variousversions for the next six centuries! Now that is significantmonetary stability.

THE DISASTROUS REIGN OF WANG MANG

WangMang arranged to have himself appointed regent for the young HanEmperor in 7AD. Two years later he killed the boy and usurped thethrone. He attempted major reforms of China's economy, manyof which were attempted by the communists in the 1950's, Theseincluded the abolition of slavery, introduction of an incometax,redistribution of the land, institution of price controls, andconfiscation of gold. He demonetized existing coins andinstituted new ones based on an unbacked fiat coinage. Despite theexecution and exile of thousands, the reforms were not accepted. Theeconomy collapsed; there were widespread general strikes and massivestarvation. In 23AD Wang was slain, his 'reforms' were abolished andthe Han dynasty restored. We offer the following two unusual coinsissued by Wang Mang: The first is a Ta Ch'ien Wu Shih coin, which heintroduced in 7AD. Though only slightly heavierthan the old Wu Ch'u coins, it was worth 50 Wu Ch'u. As mightbe expected the merchants did not take too kindly to this newcoin. In 14AD the value of the Ta Chi'en Wu Shih coin wasreduced in value from 50 Cash to 1 Cash. The same year heintroduced a new coin, called a Hou Ch'uan.. The coin remained in useuntil after his death, when the Wu Ch’u was restored as the standardcirculating coin of China.

TheK'ai Yuan coin was introduced by Chinese Emperor Kao Tsu, who foundedthe Tang Dyansty in 618AD. The coins replaced the previouslyused Wu-Chu and other coins. The high quality of the coinsand excellent calligraphy set a standard for Chinese coins for the next1000 years! The legend on the coin, K'ai Yuan TungPao translates as 'precious currency of the K'ai Yuanera'. The Tang Dynasty was a brilliant period inChinese history. It was an era of great prosperity andartistry. The K'ai Yuan coin continued to be issuedfor the next 300 years, until the collapse of the Dynasty in907AD. During much of the dynasty the coin was theonly denomination struck. Because of the relatively low valueof the coin and the high level of commerce a LOT of the coins wereissued during that period. (Think of doing all your transactions withonly pennies!) As a result the coin, though over1000 years old, is still plentiful and inexpensive.

ItemCN-KAI CHINA K'AI YUAN 1 CASH COIN 618-907AD Scj. 312+ Fine $4.50

OLD COINS OFCHINA by HolgerJorgensen

Asmall but complete identification guide book for Chinese cash coinsfrom600BCto 1912AD. Best book if you just want to identify Chinese cashcoinsbyemperor and date without going into varieties. Features line drawingsofcoins with reign title and reign dates, but not much furtherinformation. Reprint. 26pagesand plates. 5.5' x 8.5', softcover.

OLD CHINESE LOTTERY LOAN BOND

The Republic of China issued this 5 Dollar Second NationalistGovernment Lottery Loan bond in 1926 to raise money to financeimprovements in the Port of Whampoa in Canton, (now Pazou, a section ofGuangzhou). Rather than pay interest the bonds wereautomatically entered into a tri-monthly lottery that paid prizes from$1,000 to $50,000. This made the bonds popular with the Chinese, whoare natural gamblers. The front of the bond is in Chinese,the reverse in English. Both the front and back areunderprinted with a map of the port. The bonds specify that they aredenominated as '5 Dollars Canton Currency'. At thetime the bond was issued China was involved in a three-way civil warbetween Northern China, Southern China and the Communists, each issuingits own currency, so it was necessary to specify which exactly Chinesecurrency. The bond measures about 7 1/4' x 5' (18cmx 13cm).

1938 CHINESE WARBONDS DEPICTS AIR AND SEA BATTLES

These 1938 Chinese War bonds include two wonderful vignettes. One showing an aerial dogfight, the other depicting costal gunemplacements blasting ships offshore. The bonds were issuedby Kwangtung Province of China in March 1938 to raise funds in adesperate attempt to stop the Japanese invasion of China. Bythe time the bonds were issued, Japan had already begun an naval andaerial blockade of Canton (now Guangzhou), the capital of KwangtungProvince (now Guangzhou). Beijing, Shanghai and the nationalcapital of Nanjing had already fallen to the Japanese. Thebonds were issued in low denominations in order to allow most Chineseto purchase them. The defense of Canton failed and the cityfell to the Japanese in December 1938. The bonds are labeled in Chinese'27th year KwangtungProvince National Defense Public Bond' and paid a4% interest. Only the first three coupons on each bond havebeen clipped. The bonds measure approximately 10.5'x12.5'(26x31.5cm) The 5Dollar bonds are blue, the 10 Dollar bonds are brown. It isan important item issued during the Japanese invasion of China.

OLDBANKNOTES OF THE CENTRALBANK OF CHINA

This three-note set includes the orange 1 Yuan, green 5 Yuan and blue10 Yuan notes of the Central Bank China dated 1936. The notes wereissued as part of a major monetary reform which removed the peg betweensilver and the Chinese Yuan. The notes are inscribed 'NationalCurrency' to distinguish them from the many provincial and privateissues that had been in circulation. The notes were printed in Londonby Thomas de la Rue & Co. Ltd.. All three havesimilar designs. The front is in Chinese and depicts Sun YatSen. The back is in English and depicts trees and the gate tothe Cemetery of Confucius in Qufu, Shandong Province. Thenotes have a watermark of Sun Yat Sen.

HISTORIC BANK OF CHINACURRENCY

The Bank of China is the oldest and one of the largest banks inChina. It was founded in1905 and was named Bank of China in 1912. It was one of four major noteissuing banks for the Republic of China. It currently issuesbanknotes for both Hong Kong and Macao. It is one of the only banksin the world to issue currency for three different realms.

THE BANK OF CHINA'SCURSED BUILDING

In 1930 The Bank of China began to construct a new 34-storyheadquarters on the Bund in Shanghai. It was built onproperty that had been confiscated fromthe Germans during World War I. Perhaps a departing German cursed theproperty. It was to be the highest building in theFar East. However, Britisher Victor Sassoon, the owner of the SassoonHouse (now Fairmont Peace Hotel) located next door, demanded that nobuilding be higher than his. The municipal government, underBritish control, limited the height of the bank building giving it achopped off appearance. In 1937 the building was topped outat a height of 15 stories and the bank issued new banknotes to mark theoccasion. The back of the notes depict the Bank of Chinabuilding along with a partial image of the Sasson House on the left andtheYokohama Specie Bank the right.. The front depicts Sun Yat Sen and havea watermark of the Temple of Heaven. Unfortunately, the warwith Japan broke out the same year which delayed the completion andmove into the building. The bank was not able tomove into the building until 1946. In 1949 the bank was nationalized bythe Chinese communists. The notes were printed byThomas De La Rue in London.

BANK OF CHINACURRENCY FOR HONG KONG AND MACAU

After World War II most of the Bank of China was nationalized by thePeople's Republic of China, which operates it as a government ownedcommercial bank. Ahead of China's takeover of Hong Kong and Macau,China insisted that the Bank of China be allowed to issue banknotes forboth territories. It is one of three banks that issues currency forHong Kong and one of two banks issuing currency for Macau. This 2015 Bank of China 20 Dollar note forHong Kong note depicts Bauhinia flowers and the Bank ofChina Tower in Hong Kong on the front. The distinctivebuilding was designed by I. M. Pei and was the tallest building in HongKong when it opened in 1990. The back of the note portraysthe shore of Repulse Bay. The note includes braille to assistthe blind and many security devices including, microprinting,watermark, security thread, SPARK (an optically variable magnetic ink)and iridescent ink. The Bankof China Macau 10 Pataca note dated 2008 featuresthe A-Matemple on the front. Built in 1488, the temple is one of theoldest in Macau and thought to be the settlement's namesake. The backdepicts the Bank of China Building in Macau. It is the secondhighest building in Macau. The bank's name is in Portuguese'Banco da China'

Also see:
MACAO - BANK OFCHINA YEAR OF THE PIG BANKNOTE

UNUSUAL FIBERCOINS FROM WWII JAPANESE OCCUPATION OF CHINA

Manchukuo was a Japanese puppet state carved out of Northeastern Chinaprior to World War II. Due to a severe metal shortage towardsthe end of the war, it issued these unusual 1 Fen and 5 Fen coinsstruck in a thick, red material rather than metal. The coins are datedin the year of the reign of Emperor Kang Te ofManchukuo. Kang Te was formerly known as Pu Yi, whowas the last Emperor of China until he was deposed in 1911. TheJapanese used him as the figurehead leader for Manchukuo. The1 Fen struck only a single year; 1945. The 5 Fen was struckin 1944 and 1945. Because the material used was relativelysoft, thecoins show considerable wear. These historic World War II coins aresome of the few circulating non-metallic coins of the 20th century.

CHINA CELEBRATESHIGH SPEED RAIL

Chinahas the world's longest and most extensive high speed railnetwork, covering almost 17,000 miles (27,000 km.). Chinaissued this 2018 dated 27mm bi-metallic 10 Yuan to commemorate thenation's high speed rail network. The reverse of the coindepicts a 'Fuxing' high-speed train, Dashengguan Yangtze River Bridgeand the Beijing South Railway Station. The Fuxing trains runat speeds of 155 to 215 mph (250 to 350 km/h). The obversefeatures the arms of the People's Republic of China and the date.

NEW 2019 CIRCULATING COINS OF CHINA

The People's Republic of China recently released new versions of the 1and 5 Jiao and 1 Yuan coins with updated designs. All three coinscontinue to feature flowers on the reverse. The size of the 1Yuan is reduced from 25mm to 22.5mm. The numeral '1'incorporates latent image of “¥” and “1”. Thecoin has a lettered edge with 'RMB'repeated three times. Themetallic content of the 5 Jiao is changed to nickel-plated steel, thetypeface of the denomination revised and the orchid blossoms on thereverse scaled down. The numeral on the 1 Jiao was alsorevised and the orchid on the reverse scaleddown.

CHINA CELEBRATESYEAR OF THE RAT WITHBI-METAL 10 YUAN

Chinarecently released this 2020 dated bi-metallic 10 Yuan coin tocommemorate the Year of the Rat. The 27mm coin depicts a cutemouse,a palace lantern, and grapes on the obverse. The reversefeaturesthedenomination surrounded by an intricate etched design. The large number10 contains latent images, which change as the coin is moved.

MULTI-LINGUAL NOTE OF CHINA FEATURESPOTALAPALACE IN TIBET

Mao Zedong is featured on the front of this 2005 dated 50 Yuan notefrom China. The 170 x 50m note also includes a watermark ofMao. The back depicts the Potala Palace in Lhasa in Tibet. Itwas the winter palace of the Dalai Lamas and the seat of the Tibetgovernment from 1649 to 1959. It has been a museum since then and is aWorld Heritage Site. The 13-story building contains over 1000rooms, 10,000 shrines and about 200,000 statues. Also on theback is the denomination written out in Mandarin Pinyin, Mongol,Tibetan, Uighur and Zhuang as well as English.

Also see:

COINS OF TIBET
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NOTE: All pictures are of atypical item taken fromstock. Because we have multiples of most items, the item youreceivemay not look exactly the same, however it will be as described.
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Many new collectors get to know precious metal coins and medals of the PRC, and feel deeply impressed. But they have no reference books, no access to the markets in Beijing and Shanghai, and no teachers to learn from. They grope the way all by themselves, like walking in darkness, with extreme difficulty. So I will provide the many new collectors with some suggestions, from the perspective of collection.“A job can be completed more easily with sharp tools.”In coin collection, one will definitely gain success if the DIRECTION and APPROACH are correct.A new collector must adopt the right methodology from the very beginning, focusing on the following aspects: affinity with the coins, logic reasoning, coin knowledge, awareness of the real gems, making friends, and receiving correct information.

Chinese Coins Feng Shui

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Chinese Coins With Holes In Them

Welcome to China-mint.info, the ultimate resource for collectors of Chinese coins. Lack of information is always the major problem for non-Chinese speaking collectors to learn Chinese coins. Most of the Chinese coin books or websites are in Chinese characters. In addition, many commemorative coins have very interesting historical backgrounds or legendary stories, which are not provided by many websites. Our ambition is to make China-mint.info the most completed information site for Chinese modern coins. We will do a lot of research, which requires huge amount resource. However, we will invest our effort and passion in this site. We will start our job from the latest issuance, and if you have any questions regarding coins from the early years, which we haven't covered yet, please email us. In the meanwhile, we do make mistakes, so please email us as well to correct them. Also, we would like you to share any interesting stories with us.

best regards, Colin Chen

Asian Coin Identification By Picture

CE Collection Inc.

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