How to Identify Machine Stamped Chinese Coins

Examine the edges of the Chinese coin. Traditional coins were cast in molds. These molds often left rough edges that needed to be smoothed down. Stamped coins will generally have clean-looking edges that show no evidence of polishing.

Feel the edges of the hole in the middle of the Chinese coin. The holes in machine-stamped coins are punched out during the minting process. In cast coins, the hole was never filled with metal. The small bits of molten metal that may have flowed into these spaces would have been chiseled out by hand.

Look at the detail on the two faces of the Chinese coin. Many authentic pieces show very fine detail. Stamped coins may possess characters or images that are faint, or only partially visible, because of errors in the machine-stamping process.

Compare the weight of a late Imperial machine-stamped coin to that of a cast Chinese coin from the same period. Western-style presses were used to make some coins during the 1880s and 1890s. As it was expensive to machine punch the holes in the coins, stamped coins of this period were made lighter, and thus were cheaper to produce, than cast coins.

Note signs of aging on actual cast Chinese coins. Cast coins will possess a patina, or pattern of discoloration, on the metal. This patina occurs naturally and should be somewhat uneven in appearance. The much newer machine stamped coins will lack an authentic patina.