Chinese Dragon copper coin

[Catbird707]

Hello! This is my time posting but I am very glad to have found this group.

I have several coins I am trying to identify but the one particular one I am working on now is the reason I am writing.

Here is the information I have found so far.

This is a Tai-Ching-Ti-Kuo Copper Coin

The obverse has four Chinese symbols within a beaded circle. NO center symbol.

Outside of the center circle there are four(?) very worn symbols at the top, one symbol on each side and five symbols at the bottom. The outer edge is also beaded.

The reverse has the dragon but it is worn so I cannot make out any words. The Dragon is within a beaded circle. The outer edge of the coin is also beaded. Between the center circle and the outer edge of the coin are the words Tai-Ching-Ti-Kuo Copper Coin plus four(?) symbols.

I understand that Ti-Kuo means empire and believe this coin would have been minted around 1900, however, since there is no center symbol on the obverse side (which is the mint mark?) I wonder if this is a fake or fantasy coin.

Sorry that I can't submit a picture yet. I hope my description was clear enough. The coin is larger than an American quarter.

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Catbird

[PAPPY]

Catbird, Check this site out and if you need some more sites I will be glad to post some for you....PAPPY

http://ykleungt.tripod.com/hupei10.htm

[Catbird707]

Hi Pappy! I think I do need additional sites. The site you gave me was where I got all the information I have so far. It's the fact that there is no center symbol on the obverse side that i can't figure out.

Any other sites would be greatly appreciated!

And by the way, I grew up in Virginia and have travelled alot throughout the eastern half of this great country. The Blue Ridge has been and will remain my all time favorite area. I'm in Louisiana now and really miss Virginia. Of course Louisiana has mountains, too. They are called OVERPASSES!!!

Catbird

[PAPPY]

WILL send you some more soon....PAPPY

P.S. SURE WISH you could send a photograph...PAPPY

[PAPPY]

Might want to take a look at this one too....PAPPY

http://www.kenelks.co.uk/chinese/chinesedragon.htm

[Catbird707]

Pappy! You got it!

Tai-Ching-Ti-Kuo means Great Ching Empire, Ching being the emperor. The date is represented by one symbol at the 3:00 position and one at the 9:00 position on the obverse side. The date is based on the ***agenary cycle. Mine is equivalent to 1907. The cash value is ten wen (ten cash).

No mint mark appears at the center of the obverse because it was produced in Tianjin. Coins produced in any area besides Tianjin bear a mint mark.

How cool! I'm delighted. Thanks for your help. The exact coin appears on the second web site you sent me.

[PAPPY]

GLAD to be of a little help....Nice coin....PAPPY

[PAPPY]

CATBIRD.....I FOUND A TEN CASH TODAY MADE OF BRONZE FROM THE HUBEI PROVINCE. Mine is the one right above yours in the web site I gave you...I'll post a pic of it tomorrow...PAPPY

[PAPPY]

Here is the one I found yesterday on a creek bank....PAPPY

[Catbird707]

Wow! That's really awesome. I wish I remember where I got my coin. Actually I had quite a few of a variety of coins put away to find out about later. I had no idea any were that old or that interesting. Yours looks a bit little thicker? Hard to tell by the picture. And yours does indeed have a mint mark. I'll have to look up the history on that one. I don't know about you but I'm having a lot of fun with this! Nice coin back at ya!
Cathi