There are a few things that bother me about the coin. It has a diameter of 26mm. the example given in Hartill is markedly bigger, with a diameter of 28mm. This isn’t too surprising as other specimens show that the diameter could vary, although my coin ranges towards the small size. Here are a few that I found:
29mm: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=110250
28.5mm: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=206004
28.3mm: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=221658
28.5mm: https://www.zeno.ru/showphoto.php?photo=1664
26mm: http://www.yscoin.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5_195&products_id=3463&zenid=3bp7retbpppejjl9h480qgic91
The bottom obverse character seems really crude, particularly when looking at the ‘x’ shape within the box. Additionally, the reverse characters seem squashed when compared to the other examples that I have listed. This is especially true of the 10 character which connects to the outer and inner rim of the coin. Most other examples depict this as being distinctly separate.
The most worrying feature of the coin is the edge. It is slightly rounded (difficult to make out in the photo). Chinese cash coins are supposed to have a flat edge as thousands of them would be bunched together on a square rod, allowing for the edge filling of many coins at once. Would a rounded edge (with visible file marks) not suggest that the coin’s edge has been individually filed down by hand? I have been unable to find any edge photos of these republican issue so I cant be certain that this was not the norm.
The seller seems trustworthy (old account without any negative feedback) and I have bought many other coins from him that don’t seem suspicious, so I brushed off these inconsistencies. Last night I was looking over some of my Chinese coins and noticed that two Song Dynasty coins I had bought from the same seller had a strong tempera paint smell (it brought back memories of my high school’s art classroom). It now seems fairly obvious to me that these coins have a fake patina. I rubbed a damp cotton bud against one of them and the paint came off. Both coins are very common, so I am not sure if they are real coins that have been given a fake patina to increase their appeal or if they are outright forgeries. The metal that shines through the paint is a brown colour which I think suggests it is of modern manufacture.
In light of this I am much more concerned about the republican coin and others that I have bought from the same seller.
Gaozong, Hartill 17.26
Shenzong, Hartill 16.199
What are your opinions on these coins? I’m probably going to request a refund and send them back.
