Discussions on Foreign Silver Coins

Author: Zhu Jianqing
Editor: Zhou Xiaohong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-12-01
Features: Nowadays, there are more and more collectors of foreign currencies. Although paper money, coins, and silver coins each have their own preferences, foreign silver coins are definitely one of the broader topics, with a large number of enthusiasts. Moreover, foreign silver coins come from many countries and regions, with a long history and unique regional, historical, cultural, political, economic, religious, and folk characteristics. Therefore, this small book is particularly worth attention! The foreign historical silver coins discussed in this book mainly cover the period from the 18th century to the 1950s of this century, totaling over 220 pieces. It provides detailed discussions on these silver coins from cultural history, political and religious aspects, folk art, and more. The publication of this book may be like throwing a brick to attract jade, hoping to inspire more coin enthusiasts to conduct broader research on foreign silver coins.
Detailed Introduction: Mr. Zhu Jianqing is a member of the Chinese Coin Society, a council member and academic committee member of the Shanghai Coin Society, and has long been collecting foreign historical silver coins with a rich collection. The 200+ silver coins discussed in A Collection of Talks on Foreign Silver Coins are a selected representative part of his collection. While this book only touches on a small part of the historical currencies of various countries, each small coin is a witness to the rise and fall of various countries (regions) throughout history in the long river of world history, containing rich connotations in politics, military, economy, culture, and ethnicity. This book is substantial in content, illustrated with images, combining knowledge and interest, making it suitable for reading and appreciation by a wide range of coin enthusiasts, collectors, and researchers.
Excerpt: Japanese Silver Coins · Japanese 1 Sen Silver Coin The Japanese "1 Sen" silver ingot measures 23.5 mm in length, 15.0 mm in width, 2.0 mm in thickness, and weighs 7.98 grams. On the obverse, a border of 20 plum blossoms is arranged around the edges, with the characters "1 Sen" written vertically in the center. On the reverse, the same number of plum blossoms form the border, with the characters "Ding" above and "Ginju Chouzai" below in the center. There are grooves on the sides. (Fig. Ya-9) "1 Sen" is an abbreviation for "silver worth 1% of gold (1% per tael)." The characters "Ding" and "Ginju Chouzai" indicate the fixed exchange rate between gold and silver. "1 Sen" was one of the weighed silver circulation coins issued by Japan in the second year of the Meiwa era (1765 AD) to fix the gold-silver ratio. It was minted again later, so there are several versions with slight differences in font. Based on the font variations, the international pricing differs greatly. Early-minted silver ingots are rarely seen in Japan. · Japanese Dragon Yen Japan, formerly known as Daifuku, was renamed "Japan" by Emperor Kōmei in 645 AD, meaning "the land of the rising sun." On the obverse of the Japanese silver dollar, there is a design of a dragon catching pearls within a circle of dots, with the edges inscribed with "Daikoku," "Meiji 15," the English "1 Yen," "416" (troy weight), and "900" (silver content). On the reverse, two cherry blossoms and chrysanthemums are tied together in a ring, with a 16-petaled chrysanthemum (national and imperial emblem) embedded in the center, with the characters "1 Yuan" written vertically inside. The diameter is 38 mm, and the weight is 26.95 grams. (Fig. Ya-10) In 1868 (the first year of the Meiji era), Japan purchased coin-making machinery from the Hong Kong Mint and began to mint new coins. In 1870 (the third year of the Meiji era), Japan issued the Japanese Dragon Coin. Due to the dragon design, it is commonly referred to as the "Japanese Dragon Yen." The Japanese "Trade Silver" was minted during the eighth, ninth, and tenth years of the Meiji era and is rare and highly valued. There are many counterfeits of Japanese silver coins, with forgers intentionally stamping the coins to deceive and pass them off as genuine. It is essential to examine them carefully.