Numismatic and History Discussions > Parthian and Other Eastern Coins

Lesson Learned About Cash- If Members Agree

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Al C:
I posted  photos of Chinese Cash and had good replies helping to identify some of them.
But others have gone with no identity.
Since then, I think I found where I went wrong.
I had a false belief that all the coins I posted should align with documented pieces in catalogs, books or online sources.
So here is my lesson learned:
In reading Eduard Kann's The Currencies of China, section three about Copper and Copper Coinage, with particular interest to that portion from J. Edkins,
I'm beginning to see there was so much uncontrolled abundance, private made cash in good and bad metal as well as plentiful counterfeits, it would be sort of dumb for me to think all coins I posted would or should match up with catalog tracings or auction record images.
Therefore, I think I can proceed with documenting my final dozen of unknowns with the text for those that have been identified, but also having text that explains that it is not likely that some in particular will ever be truly known. Perhaps just a description like "spurious" or  "privately cast by unknown persons in unknown places".
Al C.

Virgil H:
Hmmm, I thought I responded to this, but don't see it. My response is that it is fine to use the word "unknown" to describe attributes of coins you do not know about. I use it when I am not 100% sure about something, often off-flan aspects of a coin, but the word works with anything you don't know.

Virgil

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