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Fake Older Chinese Coins
The market in China is overrun with forgeries and "fantasies" of numismatic items in all categories, from ancient to modern coins, sycee, and foreign coins. There is no parallel elsewhere. Some of the forgeries are obvious; some are undetectable even by most experts. The most dangerous ones have appeared since about 1985 and are a side product of the forging of large antique bronze items. These fakes have penetrated every corner of China, and been dispersed internationally through tourist visits, dealer sales, online auctions and even respected auction firms. A few Chinese-language publications illustrate fake and genuine examples, but cover only a tiny fraction of types extant.
In the ancient or "cast" series (knife, spade, and square-hole coins) the better forgeries are in good condition, have convincing patination, and even appropriate soil encrustation. Any item with a realistic market value over about $20, in good condition, should be suspect unless provably outside of China before 1985, or offered by one of a small handful of specialist dealers who are both knowledgeable and honest. Damaged and "worn" (brown, not encrusted) items are generally safe for pre-Ming types, as are commoner Qing, Song, and bulk lots. Types which are unlisted in comprehensive catalogs such as Hartill( italics) Cast Chinese Coins (end italics) or Ding Fubao / Fisher's Ding are usually fantasies. A list of good and bad Ancient China dealers selling on Ebay is given by experienced buyer Lars Bo (link rejected by Ebay; contact Guide author for link). Points raised in this Guide are expanded upon in this article (link rejected by Ebay; contact Guide author for link).
Although modern machine-struck copper and silver coins are more difficult to forge, there are many forgeries on the market, some difficult to detect. Most commonly offered in online auctions, however, are base-metal (or silver) copies of rare dollar-sized Chinese and foreign coins, or types with mismatched obverse / reverse, or completely novel types. Pieces which are not listed in comprehensive catalogs such as Krause-Mishler SCWC, Dong Wenchao, or Kann are almost certainly fantasies.
Sycee (silver ingots, "shoes", etc.) which sells for less than 50% premium over its bullion value should be considered false, and may not be silver at all. There are many novelty or "gift" sycee in silver and base metal produced legitimately for non-numismatic use. Buyers should check any of the numerous Chinese works on Sycee, or Joe Cribb's (formatting deleted due to Ebay policy) Catalogue of Sycee in the British Museum (formatting deleted due to Ebay policy) to see what legitimate commercial sycee look like, or visit Stephen Tai's informative website. (link deleted due to Ebay policy).
Charms (amulets, picture-money) are sometimes misrepresented as "coins." Any cast base-metal piece with a pictorial image is NOT a coin. There are legitimately old and valuable charms, as well as new versions of older charms, all collectible. Knife and spade coins which are thick (not fragile-looking) or have pictorial elements are modern charms, worth a few dollars. Non-metallic items are not money, but may be burial objects, though more likely modern reproductions of same.
Dies, test strikings, pattern coins, banknote printing plates and the like are usually modern fabrications. When genuine, such items command high prices, and are rarely offered in online auctions.
Seemingly rare Chinese items offered at low prices or without meaningful reserves should be considered false even without examination, as there is an active market within China for genuine rarities and they will not be offered cheaply abroad. Any single suspicious item offered by a seller should be grounds for condemnation of their entire stock, and sellers who offer a casual selection of coins amongst other merchandise usually are not qualified to detect forgeries. "Private" auctions are often used to keep third parties from warning bidders that the auction item is a forgery. Experienced collectors and dealers can de-authenticate many items from viewing a photo or scan, but there are few or no experts qualified to definitively authenticate a coin without a physical examination.
The author of this Guide has been a specialist dealer in Asian coins for the past forty years.
In the ancient or "cast" series (knife, spade, and square-hole coins) the better forgeries are in good condition, have convincing patination, and even appropriate soil encrustation. Any item with a realistic market value over about $20, in good condition, should be suspect unless provably outside of China before 1985, or offered by one of a small handful of specialist dealers who are both knowledgeable and honest. Damaged and "worn" (brown, not encrusted) items are generally safe for pre-Ming types, as are commoner Qing, Song, and bulk lots. Types which are unlisted in comprehensive catalogs such as Hartill( italics) Cast Chinese Coins (end italics) or Ding Fubao / Fisher's Ding are usually fantasies. A list of good and bad Ancient China dealers selling on Ebay is given by experienced buyer Lars Bo (link rejected by Ebay; contact Guide author for link). Points raised in this Guide are expanded upon in this article (link rejected by Ebay; contact Guide author for link).
Although modern machine-struck copper and silver coins are more difficult to forge, there are many forgeries on the market, some difficult to detect. Most commonly offered in online auctions, however, are base-metal (or silver) copies of rare dollar-sized Chinese and foreign coins, or types with mismatched obverse / reverse, or completely novel types. Pieces which are not listed in comprehensive catalogs such as Krause-Mishler SCWC, Dong Wenchao, or Kann are almost certainly fantasies.
Sycee (silver ingots, "shoes", etc.) which sells for less than 50% premium over its bullion value should be considered false, and may not be silver at all. There are many novelty or "gift" sycee in silver and base metal produced legitimately for non-numismatic use. Buyers should check any of the numerous Chinese works on Sycee, or Joe Cribb's (formatting deleted due to Ebay policy) Catalogue of Sycee in the British Museum (formatting deleted due to Ebay policy) to see what legitimate commercial sycee look like, or visit Stephen Tai's informative website. (link deleted due to Ebay policy).
Charms (amulets, picture-money) are sometimes misrepresented as "coins." Any cast base-metal piece with a pictorial image is NOT a coin. There are legitimately old and valuable charms, as well as new versions of older charms, all collectible. Knife and spade coins which are thick (not fragile-looking) or have pictorial elements are modern charms, worth a few dollars. Non-metallic items are not money, but may be burial objects, though more likely modern reproductions of same.
Dies, test strikings, pattern coins, banknote printing plates and the like are usually modern fabrications. When genuine, such items command high prices, and are rarely offered in online auctions.
Seemingly rare Chinese items offered at low prices or without meaningful reserves should be considered false even without examination, as there is an active market within China for genuine rarities and they will not be offered cheaply abroad. Any single suspicious item offered by a seller should be grounds for condemnation of their entire stock, and sellers who offer a casual selection of coins amongst other merchandise usually are not qualified to detect forgeries. "Private" auctions are often used to keep third parties from warning bidders that the auction item is a forgery. Experienced collectors and dealers can de-authenticate many items from viewing a photo or scan, but there are few or no experts qualified to definitively authenticate a coin without a physical examination.
The author of this Guide has been a specialist dealer in Asian coins for the past forty years.
Guide created: 07/19/06 (updated 09/28/08)
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