Emperor Wen Zong (1851-61)
Xian Feng Tong Bao 5 cash (Brass)
Rev: Boo De (Chengde, Zhili), Dang Wu (value 5)
Diam 27.9mm, 7.9g
Hartill lists an iron 5-cash Boo De - H22.1059, cast 1855, but nowhere can I find reference to a brass coin. Calligraphy looks correct,and size & weight are ball-park.
Has anyone come across a similar coin or must I write this off as a fake?
Comment received on Coin Talk (a good forum) lead me to the inevitable conclusion that this is a fake.
I have just got a copy of Krause Standard catalogue of World Coins, in which this coin is listed as C# 6.2.
Maybe it should be shifted to the Qing section?
Ah yes, that dilemna. It has that 'fabric' of a private issue (too pretty with heavier lines). Does that make it a contemporary counterfeit? I believe Hartill just calls them "unofficial".