Chopmark Library

The tables below attempt to help us understand the actual chopmarks better, in meaning, style and frequency. For many of these chopmarks, we're forced to guess, so browse with that understanding. Remember, this was 18-19th century China, literacy was not high in the working class, and local dialects and styles were prevalent. Note - my hope is to grow this library over time so please feel free to contribute if you have coins with interesting chopmarks.

Hanzi Chopmarks (358)

Hanzi chopmarks are the most common type of chopmark seen. The table below isn't comprehensive, we're discovering new chopmarks on a regular basis.

Compound Chopmarks - Assay / Banker / Multi-character (13)

Compound, multi-character chopmarks use a combination Chinese words, and are believed to be assayer, banker, or merchant-house stamps.

Japanese Chopmarks on Edo Period Coinage (35)

Japanese Edo period coinage show a different style of chopmarks, believed to have been placed by the honryōgae (本 両 替 ), the equivalent of a Chinese shroff in Japan.

Seal Chopmarks (50)

Seal-script chopmarks are historical variants, and would have been familiar to engravers who were familiar with them through other engraving work such as stamps.

Calligraphy Chopmarks (16)

Calligraphy chopmarks are not common, but we see them now and then. It isn't entirely clear if these are Chinese calligraphy chops, or Japanese hiragana, since the two are essentially the same.

Manchu/Mongolian Script Chopmarks (11)

Manchu/Mongolian Script chopmarks are fairly uncommon. When seen, they are written top to bottom. Note that what you see below are approximations of the Manchu/Mongolian words, as the understanding of this writing is very complex, and the engravers likely modified or simplified the words.

Latin Letter and Number Chopmarks (15)

Latin Letter and Number chopmarks may have been assayer or merchant initials / monograms.

Symbol Chopmarks (26)

Symbol chopmarks are non-script/character marks, such as geometric shapes, and are not well understood.

Chopmarks on Contemporary Counterfeits (83)

These chopmarks come from contemporary counterfeit coins, and thus are kept out of the totals and tables above and listed separately here.