NEW BOOK: TOP CHINESE COINS - SILVER COINAGE

Reviewed by John and Nancy Wilson, NLG

Top Chinese Coins - Silver Coinage by Michael Hans Chou, Ron Guth and Bruce Smith is a 170 page hard cover, coffee size table reference, that it fully illustrated and in full color. All the top 60 coins in this reference have been enlarged to about four inches (in full color). This allows the viewing of even the smallest details. The 60 coins will be found in 60 short chapters. This reference is an update of an earlier book with the same name which was released in June, 2010. The 1,000 copies produced quickly sold out.

The reference is written in Chinese and English and covers the period 1850 through 1949. Descriptions of the pieces with large full color pictures along with auction results, price trends, private selling prices and their "Kann" historical values. Their rarity is shown from 1 (extremely common) to 10 (very rare). One * (star) for extremely rare and ** (stars) for the highest rarity.

The market for Chinese coins is on "fire". With the high value of the Yuan and prosperity in China, the people of China can now afford coin rarities from their country. According to co-author Ron Guth he credits Michael Chou and Champion Auctions with the steady rise in Chinese coin prices, especially the rarities.

Starting in October 2009, five seminars were held in Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and the United States having 150 participants. Surveys were sent to 138 numismatic experts and collectors and 102 were returned (45% from mainland China). The experts using: rarity, value, quality, popularity, beauty and historical significance decided the coins which you find in this book.

We found it interesting to see the steep increase in prices from the 1954 Kann catalogue to the present time. Finally the rarity and condition is reflected in the present prices. At the end of the book the great Asian numismatists are listed with a biography of each and their contribution to Chinese numismatics.

Selling for $100 the Top Chines Coins - Silver Coinage is expensive. The information contained within the reference though is priceless. After reading and reviewing this book we think the selling price is a bargain. We don't think the authors and publishers will even get back their original investment in the book. It is a high quality, well researched and written reference that will quickly sell out like the first edition did. It would be a great addition to not only collectors of Chinese coins but also dealers, collectors, investors, researchers, bibliophiles, museums, libraries and anyone else who has an interest in well done numismatic references. For information on purchasing this book you can contact Michael Chou at Email: championghka@gmail.com

Wayne Homren, Editor

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