Ancient Chinese Coins

(t) CHINA. Qing Dynasty. Guangdong. Poem Cash, ND (ca. 1875-1908). Guangzhou or Zhaoqing Mint. Emperor De Zong (Guang Xu). Certified "78" by Zhong Qian Ping Ji Grading Company.

Hartill-pg. 291. Weight: 5.6 gms. "Guang Xu tong bao"; Reverse: "Guang". An attractive and wholesome survivor exhibiting signs of handling consistent for the grade with even wear, smooth rims and naturally rough surface texture in the protected areas displaying lovely brassy tone and richer coloration in the fields and crevasses. Hartill states that this series of issues were originally manufactured barring the name of Emperor Kangxi and could be arranged to form a four line poem that rhymes following the form traditional Chinese poetry. He goes on the cite Schjoth "If genuine and placed together, they have the power of expelling evil influences and of preventing fires. Their genuineness according to popular belief can be tested by placing them, when strung together, on the top of a Chicken-coop: if genuine, they will prevent the cocks from crowing in the morning." Clearly there many renditions of these poem coins were manufactured throughout the remainder of the Qing dynasty barring various Imperial names.

Estimate: $ 75.00 - 125.00

光緒通寶滿漢廣。

重5.6克。光緒通寶，反面滿漢"廣"。品相完好，極具魅力。經手痕跡與評級相符。磨損均匀，邊緣光滑，底板天然略粗糙。黃銅色包漿，底板及凹陷處色澤更深。Hartill 指出此系列生產之初，刻有康熙帝號，並可排列成五言絕句。他引述 Schjot 所言"若為真幣並將其放在一起，有壓勝之力，能驅逐邪祟，防治火災。"根據民間傳説，判斷真僞的方法為將錢幣綁成一串，置於鷄舍之頂，真品能止雄鷄報曉。清朝晚年發行諸多詩錢，上鑄不同帝號。