We've probably all seen chopmarked Trade dollars, but how were they actually...

[James_OldeTowne]

... applied? I mean, of course the counterpunch was whacked into the coin by hand, but why would this also bend and distort the coin? Was the dollar not lying on a flat surface at the time the merchant would hammer the device into the coin?

 

Also, does anyone own an actual counterpunch, or have a picture of one?

 

Thanks in advance.

[Just Bob]

Laying the coin on a relatively soft surface, for example: a block of white pine, or a table covered with leather, would allow the coin to bend when struck with enough force.

 

Here are some quick pics of a corroded Lincoln that I laid on a board and hit with a punch and rubber mallet, to prove my point.

[WoodenJefferson]

Even on a extremely hard flat surface, the center of a coin will at least deflect the thickness of the stacking rim. (opposed to the height of the devices)

 

 

Edit: The depth of the chop does have something to do with the assay aspect of silver coins circulating in China. The practice of applying chopmarks became especially important because of the circulation of debased counterfeit 8 reale coins or base metal counterfeits with a thin silver coating. The punch used to create the chopmark would penetrate the thin silver outer coating of these counterfeits and reveal the coin to be a bonified fake.

 

What gets me, is having a coin stamped 30 times or more…one assayer/trader not trusting the others? Were chop marks counterfeited also?

[Conder101]

The size of the punch and whether it was a flat faced punch or a tapered punch would also have an effect on whether or not the coin would bend.

[kryptonitecomics]

Even on a extremely hard flat surface, the center of a coin will at least deflect the thickness of the stacking rim. (opposed to the height of the devices)

 

 

Edit: The depth of the chop does have something to do with the assay aspect of silver coins circulating in China. The practice of applying chopmarks became especially important because of the circulation of debased counterfeit 8 reale coins or base metal counterfeits with a thin silver coating. The punch used to create the chopmark would penetrate the thin silver outer coating of these counterfeits and reveal the coin to be a bonified fake.

 

What gets me, is having a coin stamped 30 times or more…one assayer/trader not trusting the others? Were chop marks counterfeited also?

 

In theory one could take a chopmarked coin deemed to be counterfeit and then dip it in silver giving it the appearance of being a genuine coin that has already been tested....hence the chopmark? (Pure speculation on my part)