China Kwangtung (Kwang-Tung) 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 Dollar 1890

We are not very smart when it comes to Chinese coins. But there are a lot of smart people on the Internet, and the people over at CoinCommunity (check this link) are among the smartest.

Your coin comes from the old Canton (Guangdong) Province of China, also spelled Kwangtung, where we get all that good Cantonese food from here in America. The denomination is 10 cents, or 7.2 candareens. All the denominations are:

3.6 candareens = 5 cents
7.2 candareens = 10 cents
1 mace and 4.4 candareens = 20 cents
3 mace and 6 candareens = 50 cents
7 mace and 2 candareens = 1 dollar

There are other patterns for Kwuangtung coins, including the one on this CoinQuest page.

All coins from China are subject to counterfeit. Do not invest large sums of money in any Chinese coin unless you are sure you can trust the seller.

Our catalogs show these coins with the following values, but I'd wager they are probably worth somewhat more if you have a specimen in good condition with good eye appeal. Genuine Chinese coins are growing rapidly in value, and the catalogs lag quite a bit.

5 CENTS (15 mm diameter)
worn: $8 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $20
well preserved: $50
fully uncirculated: $100
the normal inscription for 5 cents is 3.6 candareens; if you find a 5 cent coin with 3.65 candareens, it is much more valuable ($600 in average circulated)

10 CENTS (18 mm diameter)
worn: $10 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $25
well preserved: $50
fully uncirculated: $100
the normal inscription for 10 cents is 7.2 candareens; if you find a 10 cent coin with 7 3/10 candareens, it is much more valuable ($500 in average circulated)

20 CENTS (22 mm diameter)
worn: $8 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $30
well preserved: $60
fully uncirculated: $120
the normal inscription for 20 cents is 1 mace and 4.4 candareens; if you find a 20 cent coin with 1 mace and 4 3/5 candareens, it is much more valuable ($650 in average circulated)

50 CENTS (32 mm diameter)
worn: $20 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $200
fully uncirculated: $600
the normal inscription for 50 cents is 3 mace and 6 candareens; if you find a 50 cent coin with 3 mace and 6 1/2 candareens, it is much more valuable ($1200 in average circulated)

1 DOLLAR (39 mm diameter)
worn: $50 US dollars catalog value
average circulated: $175
well preserved: $400
fully uncirculated: $1300

To get actual buy and sell prices, you have to convert these catalog values using our Terminology page. Always heed warnings about counterfeits, and especially for coins from China.
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