French Indochine Trade Piastre

[ElleKitty]

'Nother Indochine Trade Piastre, 1894, A mint.  This is the second coin of this series I've picked up for my Trade Dollar collection. =)

[Sap]

Have you checked the weight of it? These coins (and the Indochinese Federation piastres) are being copied by the gazillions over in Vietnam. This one looks OK, but the quality of the copies varies from ludicrous to superb.

Those lines on both sides (8 o'clock obverse, 2 o'clock reverse), are they die cracks, some kind of test cut, or are they marks on the 2x2?

[ElleKitty]

Sap, I haven't got a scale of any sort to weigh the coins upon.  However, I can answer that the line is a piece of cardboard from the 2x2, probably the same one. >.>  I scan these on my flatbed scanner in multiples, and just don't notice those little things until well after I've already posted them up ><

I'm aware that many Asian coins are coming up counterfeit, but when I get them like this, I worry a little less.  The coin shop where I deal has people in selling constantly.  This was in a lot that they bought today, a mass of old silver Mexican rounds, plus a very few old World silver coins.  The things have probably been hoarded for half a dozen decades.