China Manchukuo (Manchoukuo) Li and Fen 1933 to 1939

Some people are very creative. Carol was having a hard time photographing her Chinese coin, so she implemented Plan B and did very well. You can see her sketch below. Not bad!

Carol probably has a 5 li or 1 fen coin from the Japanese Puppet State of Manchoukuo in China. At the end of World War I, Japan had designs of world domination and they pushed in to China in an attempt to control the entire Asiatic region. While there, they minted these coins with a single flag pattern. There are many Chinese coins with two crossed flags, but this one has a single flag.

We always give approximate valuations at CoinQuest, but this is extra true with Chinese coins. The entrance of China as a world player is causing large fluctuations in coin values, and there are also subtle variations is design and date that push values up or pull them down. Further, counterfeiting is rampant in China, so you are never really sure if you coin is genuine or fake. If you have a nice-looking example of this coin, it is best to seek a knowledgeable collector or dealer for an in-person appraisal. Here are some VERY approximate values:

5 LI (20 mm diameter)
worn: $15 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $90
well preserved: $220
fully uncirculated: $500

1 FEN (25 mm diameter)
worn: $10 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $80
well preserved: $140
fully uncirculated: $350
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Coin: 12748, Genre: The Sinosphere, Timeline: World
Created (yyyymm): 201209, Last review: 201705
Appearance: Normal round coin Metallic brown Letters: Chinese style
Years: sort: 1933, filter: 1933 to 1939
Image: china_manchoukuo_fen.jpg
Tags: stemming fern encircled oriental bloomed symbol curvy circal asia stem leis swirls lilly colours rings symbal fleur liafy curves symbels flour leaves bannered scribble twice chinese leaf blossom orient manchoukuo lis flur centered colors bouquet petels flags circling flowers curl petal orchid encircles petals certer leave circel encircle swirl leaved leafs banner blanket ringed centers twirly circumference china bowed encircling fler simbol curly flower centre ring banners bow curlicues leafe curved chineese chine trefoil leafy symbols manchukuo two circles loop circumscribed swirly curving circumscibed circuit bough leafed symbles lises lily taiwan leavs bud off flag foliage squiggley circlet curve circle curlycue pedals trefoils lilys four offcenter ferns squiggles floer fluer sqiggles fleures boughs lei loops floral swoosh curls simble dogwood chian circular incircled ivy squigle lisse squiggly stems circled greenery scribbles flowery bush center fleurs fen offset orcid squiggle asian