World Coins: Counterfeit China East Hopei 1937 Chiao

As more people become cautious of expensive Chinese coins, some counterfeiters have moved to cheaper, more readily available coins to fake. One such coin is the China East Hopei 1937 Chiao which is a new high quality counterfeit.

China East Hopei 1937 Chiao Left to Right: Coin 1 Obverse; Coin 2 Obverse; Coin 3 Obverse Click images to enlarge.

The coinage of Chinese East Hopei is usually available in the market and can be found in better grades with Chiao pieces grading as high as MS 66 by NGC. The Chiao has a catalog value in the World Coin Price Guide on the NGC website of $85 in "Uncirculated" but it can fetch hundreds of dollars in higher grades. Recently counterfeits of this coin have started to appear.

China East Hopei 1937 Chiao Left to Right: Coin 1 Obverse; Coin 2 Obverse; Coin 3 Obverse Click images to enlarge.

These counterfeits are made by the transfer die method which means the design is correct, but contact marks from the host coin will also transfer to every forgery. This piece has several such issues. On the pagoda side there are repeating contact marks and a flaw in the field to the right of the pagoda. Repeating contact marks also appear next to the “2” character and the character at the end of the bottom legend. On the grain side of the coin there is a repeating contact mark under the center leaf of the left grain stock. While most examples of this counterfeit purport to be in uncirculated condition, several artificially darkened and worn examples have been seen.

China East Hopei 1937 Chiao Diagnostics circled in red Click images to enlarge.

With counterfeits such as this coin, large quantities are likely produced and released into the market. While few have made it to NGC it is very likely that these counterfeits will continue to plague the market for years to come. Buyers should always remember to look closely at every uncertified coin, even if it is relatively low value.