Chopped Dollars

Stephen Tai
Feb.28, 1998

The shown Spanish Mexican silver dollar was repeatedly chopped, to a degree that its two faces can hardly be identified, by different users for authenticity during the time when it was circulated in Ching Dynasty.
Since late 16^th century foreign silver coins had begun to be shipped to China. In this preliminary stage those silver coins were treated as silver ingots by the natives and were valued by their weight and purity. Chinese, from time to time, cut or melt those silver coins like the way they using sycee.
Around Chieng Lung and Gia Ching Period (1736-1820), after a long-term trial period, Chinese societies eventually had recognized that those machine-struck round silver pieces are of an uniformed weight and purity, it could be circulated by counting their amounts, and no need to measure their weight, test their purity, or melt them before served. Hence, foreign silver coins had won themselves a independent evaluation system and market in China which were no longer attached to sycee currency. Furthermore Chinese merchants even created routine trade markets for the exchange between sycee and foreign silver coin currency, the exchange rates were updated on a daily basis.
Foreign silver coins were more and more welcomed by Chinese during late Ching period. Most of the time, the values of the silver coins were equal to or even higher than pure silver in same weight.
Since foreign silver coins had become one of the most popular commodity in China, more countries introduced their coins into China in pursuing high profits. In the meantime, forgeries of less purity were also produced by many indecent merchants around the country attempting to have a share.
The book, as shown below, newly engraved in the 4^th year of Tong Zhi period (1865), was one of many numismatic publications in late Ching, coaching people how to differentiate various foreign silver coins, and to authenticate them.
According to the book, some of the fake coins, were not only silver plated coppers, but also being chopped by the forgers in the first place, as to make people believe the coins had already been authenticated and accepted by previous bearers. Therefore, Chinese had to trust their own eyes and chisels, chopped their coins, even though there had been many chop marks existed. A lot of ugly faced coins, were caused thereto, such as the one above shown.

Foreign Silver Coins Circulated in China