r/ChopmarkedCoins Mar 17 '20

Welcome to r/ChopmarkedCoins!

18 Upvotes

What are chop marks?

Chop marks are a form of counterstamp applied by private Chinese merchants or dedicated currency specialists (called 'shroffs') who would apply the marks to verify that a coin was silver prior to accepting it as valid currency. For centuries, China produced highly desirable commodities available nowhere else (silks, etc.) but European merchants had little to offer in exchange that was of interest, apart from one: silver, which arrived in many forms of varying size and purity. To ensure that the quantities of silver used as a means of exchange were legitimate, private interests would apply their own stamps (chop marks) to break the surface of a coin in order to ensure that it was not plated or otherwise spurious. However, the coins themselves, upon reaching China, were treated purely as bullion; the only value that they carried was intrinsic, and coins could bear a single chop, or be chopped so heavily as to break the coin apart.

What do chop marks look like?

Chop marks most commonly take the form of a single Chinese character, though are also known to resemble symbols, English letters, numbers, simple punches and gouges, and cuts. The marks themselves have gone through stylistic changes based on era: before ~1750, chops varied in size, but exhibited a larger number of relief chops than later eras; ~1750-1825, when most chops were relatively small; ~1825-1910, as chops became larger and more complex, and; post-1910, chops became small, light, and far less prevalent. However, these date ranges represent only a general rule of thumb, and coins could circulate for many decades, rendering this rule somewhat fluid. Additionally, not all marks that fall within one of the types mentioned above are necessarily chops (such as English letters, which, unless they appear alongside more conventional chops, are often private American counterstamps).

What coins can be found with chop marks?

There are hundreds of types that exist with chops, and a representative collection represents dozens of countries and hundreds of years. Some of the earliest coins that can reliably be found with chopmarks are 17th century cob issues from the Spanish colonies (Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia), each of which sent massive amounts of silver to China for several centuries. The 18th century saw a more diverse range of types, but the issues of Mexico became the most popular in China itself, due to the quantity available and the consistency of the production, first with the Pillar Type 8 Reales (1732-1771) and the Bust Type 8 Reales (1772-1822). As former Spanish colonies found independence in the early 19th century, the most commonly encountered coin in the Far East became the Mexico Cap & Rays 8 Reales (1823-1897), the last major world type to be imported in quantity. Many silver issues of varying size (as small as the 1/2 Real) from this entire date range and a wide number of nations, particularly from the 19th century, are known to exist. A small number of coins in other metals, notably copper and gold, are known with chops, though these did not necessarily serve the same purpose, instead functioning as 'lucky' coins, advertising, or, as with many gold issues, actually represent circulation in other countries, such as Japan.

Where should I go for more information?

There are two major publications in English dedicated to the exclusive study of this area:

  • 'Chopmarks', by F.M. Rose. Numismatics International, 1987. This is the seminal work on the subject, compiled largely by the personal collecting experience of its author over several years. Some of the information is outdated, but this is still a necessary work for the collector. Rose's collection is still considered the gold standard. A reprint was issued in 2003/4.
  • 'Chopmarked Coins - A History', by Colin Gullberg. iAsure, 2014. An updated reference with excellent images, this is a fanatastic reference full of useful information for both the new collector and the veteran. Only one edition has been printed, and copies are only available sporadically on the secondary market.
  • 'The Chopmark News', edited by Colin Gullberg. The newsletter of the Chopmark Collectors Club that has been published since 1990, this is the reference periodical for the collector base. Membership in the club is less than $20/year, and typically three issues of more than 50 pages each are published annually, showcasing members' coins, interviews with dealers and researchers, and articles on the subject both scholarly and personal. Editions are delievered digitally but can be printed at additional cost. Mr. Gullberg can be reached at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).

Additional references can be found in the subreddit's Running Bibliography, available here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ChopmarkedCoins/comments/lep6dd/chopmarks_running_bibliography/


r/ChopmarkedCoins 1h ago

Recent Sale: (1841-42) Costa Rica C/S (Contemporary Counterfeit) on 1838-Do Mexico Eight Reales, April 20, 2026; $439.20.

Post image
Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 13h ago

Recent Sale: (1780-1825) Bangka Island, Indonesia Tin Cash, July 21, 2026; $420.00.

Thumbnail
gallery
9 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 1d ago

Geometric shape chopmarks

Post image
19 Upvotes

How common are geometric shapes, like this six-point star, seen on chopmarked coin? This 1895 Dragon Yen I picked up at the LCS as it seems somewhat unique. It’s the first I’ve seen and an online search didn’t find other similar examples. Your thoughts?


r/ChopmarkedCoins 2d ago

Recent Sale: 1856-Pi Mexico Eight Reales, May 28, 2026; €67.00.

Post image
9 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 2d ago

Recent Sale: 1876-CC United States Trade Dollar, eBay Item 168531706445, July 19, 2026; $300.63.

Thumbnail
gallery
20 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 3d ago

Recent Sale: 1869-1870 Thailand Baht, Contemporary Counterfeit, September 12, 2025; €7.00.

Post image
16 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 3d ago

Chopped Japan’s First Silver Dollar (Yen)

Thumbnail
gallery
23 Upvotes

1870 year 3 of Meiji


r/ChopmarkedCoins 3d ago

Recent Sale: 1650 Portuguese Goa Xerafim, Shroff Marks, June 1, 2026; $207.40.

Post image
18 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 4d ago

First Chopmarks looking for info

Post image
27 Upvotes

Bought this one raw, looking for any info on the chopmarks.

Thanks!


r/ChopmarkedCoins 4d ago

1903-P United States-Philippines Peso, ex-J. D. Bowman

Thumbnail
gallery
16 Upvotes

My grab from the Bowman Peso mini hoard. I was too slow to grab the five-character assay chop, but I still got this fun '天和' (tiān hé, "heavenly harmony / heavenly peace") assay chop. Other chops are 奋, meaning 'to strive,' and 仁, meaning 'benevolence'.


r/ChopmarkedCoins 4d ago

Recent Sale: 1871-Ga Mexico Peso, April 20, 2026; $793.00.

Post image
15 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 4d ago

Moneda

Thumbnail reddit.com
1 Upvotes

> "Moneda $20 Veracruz 500 años,


r/ChopmarkedCoins 6d ago

My first chop marked coin

Thumbnail
gallery
34 Upvotes

Hello everyone. This is my first chop marked coin. I paid $150 which I think is fair? Some of the marks are very clear. What do you think? I would appreciate any info or advice you are willing to give me. Thank you!


r/ChopmarkedCoins 6d ago

Throwback Auction Thursday: (c. 1834-37) Philippines Isabel II C/S on 1756-Mo Mexico Two Reales, July 4, 2011.

Post image
13 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 7d ago

Recent Sale: (1841) Cuba Lattice C/S on 1788-S Spain Two Reales, April 20, 2026; $5,124.00.

Post image
15 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 7d ago

Value request

Thumbnail
gallery
18 Upvotes

Hoping somebody here could help me with the value on this coin. I think I may have overpaid. Also would love to know if any of these chop marks are identifiable.
Thanks in advance.


r/ChopmarkedCoins 7d ago

1874-CC With a lot of interesting chop

7 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 8d ago

Near Prooflike 1883 Yen

Thumbnail
gallery
13 Upvotes

Snagged this PL gem. Aside from the crack caused by the obverse chop and the typical light cleaning in the center of the reverse, I couldn't ask for a much cleaner example.

This also completes my basic Japanese yen type set. I now have an 1870, Large Type, Small Type, Left Gin, Right Gin, and Taishō issue. Since I was first introduced to chopmarks while assembling my Japanese type set, I'm especially glad to finally complete the basic series.

The prominent obverse chop is 恒 in its typical form, with the heart radical (忄) shifted to the left as a vertical bar. The reverse features a nice retrograde "S," which I currently believe is a form of caoshu (Chinese cursive), based on its serifs and the frequency with which this character appears. The Kōzan Sōsho caoshu variant of 昌 is the closest match I've found so far. Other readable chops include 江 and the seal-form of 亻.

Photos taken by chopmarkedcoins on Instagram.


r/ChopmarkedCoins 9d ago

Got a choppy so marked she bowled. Extra thick box.

Thumbnail
gallery
37 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 9d ago

Recent Sale: 1893-AT Russia Ruble, April 20, 2026; $854.00.

Post image
14 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 10d ago

Heavily chopped 1858/9 Go PF Mexico 8 Reales.

Thumbnail
gallery
23 Upvotes

Been wanting a heavily chopmarked example of this classic type for a while, glad I could source one with some cool seal chops. Not sure if its an 1858 or 1859 though.


r/ChopmarkedCoins 10d ago

Recent Sale: '8618-G' Mexico Eight Reales, Contemporary Counterfeit, June 27, 2026; €600.00.

Thumbnail
gallery
18 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 10d ago

1836 Peru 8 Reales w/ Spanish-Philippines c/m

Thumbnail
gallery
31 Upvotes

r/ChopmarkedCoins 11d ago

Recent Sale: 1877-S United States Trade Dollar, eBay Item 168530862769, July 12, 2026; $51.00.

Thumbnail
gallery
20 Upvotes