Kang Xi Tong Bao with special mint marks

Vladimir Belyaev
May 30, 2000
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Additional reverse mint marks location:

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top right
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bottom center
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top left
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top left
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top left
Obverse: Kang Xi Tong Bao
Reverse: left - Manchu ..., right - Chinese Che (Chekiang mint)

Additional marks (small dots) are placed in the different locations of the coin reverse. On the scaled image below can be seen that those dots seems are not the casting defect but special marks.

Werner Burger, Ch'ing Cash until 1735, page 78:

    During the Kang Hsi period also cash were cast with additional marks on the reverse... In no book is the meaning explained of those extra marks of the Kang Hsi period. It is interesting, however, that here for the first time the marks appear on the top bottom which can be simply explained from the two casting periods, spring and autumn.

VB: I have more similar Kang Xi coins with extra small reverse marks casted by the Board of Revenue mint (14 coins) , Shandong mint (1 coin) and ... mint (1 coin).
If we accept the Werner Burger's suggestion it is uncleared why the Kang Xi coins with such marks are very uncommon on the Chinese cash coins market.


Any additional information highly appreciated.
Chinese Coinage Web Site