I was recently contacted by a collector in Italy who was questioning why he could not find this particular coin he recently won in a San Marino auction listed in The Standard Catalog of World Coins.

Well if you happen to encounter any Chinese coins not listed in this series of catalogs, I have to admit that after 35 years of being published that you might just have another fantasy piece in front of you. Granted these catalogs are perhaps 95 percent complete when it comes to the earlier cast square holed cash coins but a lot closer to 98 percent complete for die struck Chinese coinage.

When I received these scans I immediately sent copies of all the information I received to Ma Tak Wo in Hong Kong, who is one of the leading authorities and author on Sinkiang coinage. He quickly contacted the collector in Italy and myself, and as I suspected this is just another clever fantasy type coming out of the mainland.

Measuring 39 mm, thickness of 1.7 mm, weight of 16.5 grams, plain edge and struck in bronze with a value of 10 cash, we certainly have another rogue.