China Kwang Shu Kuoping Tael (Fakes are possible) 1908

The vast majority of Kwang Shu taels are fakes, made to look like a genuine gold fantasy coin with the same inscriptions. Our side-by-side comparison image below shows the marked difference between the real and fake coins.

Kwang Shu is not a Chinese province, although Kwant Tung is, and Kuang Hsu (or Kwang Hsu, or Kwang Su, or Guangsu) is a Chinese emperor (1875 to 1908). There is not a lot of information readily available about the background or history of this coin, but it appeared on the respected dealer Noble Numismatics web site years ago.

Further, we have been unable to nail down the actual value of the genuine piece, since we cannot find any reliable auction results. We are certain, nevertheless, of the value of the fakes, which are all over the Interent:

KWANG SHU TAEL REPLICA
worn: less than $1 US dollar approximate catalog value
average circulated: $1
well preserved: $3
fully uncirculated: $10

Check the details of the two coins in this side-by-side comparison:

CoinQuest thanks Noble Numismatics for use of their coin photo. It is a beauty!
cqLastNotify