osborne311

Something clicked today but it wouldn't have without your guidance. When I first looked through online sources I could not make heads or tails out of anything. Now with some basic understanding of it, I am starting to at least begin to correctly research. Thank You

This is greatly encrusted with marine growth but now that I have it oriented correctly - appears to be S545 Seal -script YUAN-FENG, AD 1078-1085 S-545-550. Bronze 1 cash. Obverse: "YUAN-FENG T'UNG-PAO" in seal, orthodox and grass scripts. see: http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china5.htm

I think I have found this to be: Emperor SHENG TSU AD 1662-1722 with the reverse indicating: S-1422, "BOO YUWAN" (Board of Works mint). The Manchu mint name translates to Pao-yuan or "The Source of all Currency". http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china8.htm#kang hsi

See S565-8 http://www.calgarycoin.com/reference/china/china5.htm

If it is the coin I believe it is - reverse is blank. Even looking at the actual coin with magnification - I can see what you are referring to, but unsure if it might just be discoloration or build up from centuries on the ocean floor?

Yes, looking at the coin if the trade character is on the right then the "Boo" character on reverse should be on the left. I am correcting it now.

I am almost certain that this is YUAN-YU T'UNG-PAO / Emperor Che Tsung AD 1086-1100 / Reign Title: YUAN-YU, AD 1086-1093 / Bronze 1 Cash in Seal -script. Thoughts?

Finally a break from work for a bit today and plan to dive back in.

I re oriented. Do you think both sides are correct now?

Thoughts on this being 16.269 / 1086-93 / Yuan You tong bao / Emperor Zhe Zong? The size is wrong but the characters seem a good match?

Thank You! I definitely plan to reverse engineer your finding once I get that book (ordered) and learn how you are researching. Never thought there was much value in these but wanted to know what they are other than just an old coin. This make sense as the coins were mixed from multiple dive sites but more than a few of those dive sites were Song dynasty with a lot of porcelain coming up as well.

Re oriented coin as suggested and corrected measurement. Thank You

I re oriented the coin as suggested and corrected the measurement. Thank You

I re oriented the coin as suggested and corrected the measurement. Thank You

10 grams and 30mm diameter. Guessing at the orientation. Chinese wreck off coast of Indonesia.

5 grams and 25mm diameter. Guessing at the orientation. Chinese wreck off coast of Indonesia.

3 grams and 25mm diameter. Guessing at the orientation. Chinese wreck off coast of Indonesia.

4 grams and 25mm diameter. Guessing at the orientation. Chinese wreck off coast of Indonesia.

8 grams and 30mm diameter. Guessing at the orientation. Chinese wreck off coast of Indonesia.

Wow - no wonder I had very little luck searching online. I will look up that book and get it as I do have a lot of interest in this. Ok so I will start a new thread per coin and just number them so I can keep track of them. I have a few ready now so let me know if you see I need to change anything. I am completely guessing at orientation but I do have a kitchen scale that measures grams and dabble in stamps so I can measure in mm. Appreciate being put on the right road. Big Thank You!

Thank You for the guidance. I did not know if one at a time would be kosher or not. I will start soon and will label the threads "Chinese Coin 1" etc. Just extremely curious what they even are and have no idea where to start. Ran across this site when researching and looked to be full of people that know a lot more than I do about coins - especially Chinese coins. Thank You!

I have had a few dozen coins in my possession for decades and have just not done anything with them. I acquired them from someone that actually had friends in Indonesia that dove wrecks. They are not all from the same wreck but I believe most of the ships are Song dynasty. They are in various degrees of condition from able to make both sides out very well to some that are heavily encrusted in marine growth that I have not attempted to remove. I am curious what they are and wondered if I can post pictures here and get opinions as to what they are or if that is not allowed? I could post them in groups of 5 front and back using a scanner. I know nothing about them, have no idea how to make out the Chinese characters and not sure where to start. I don't think coins of this type have a lot of value but curiosity now has me wondering what they are no matter the worth. Thank You for the advice. I posted a few just as an example of what I have but they all seem somewhat different.