That is Sun Yat-Sen on the front of this neat Chinese coin. He was the founding father of the Republic of China, and a medical practitioner. As the foremost pioneer of the Republic of China, Sun is referred to as the 'Father of the Nation' in the Republic of China (ROC), and the 'forerunner of democratic revolution' in the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Be sure to read this page to the end. Counterfeits are discussed last.

The back shows a famous 'Chinese Junk' sailing boat. What makes the difference to the value of these coins is the presence or absence of three birds flying over the junk. Coins with birds are very valuable. Without the birds, the values go way down, but still respectable. These coins contain 0.755 troy ounces of silver. Approximate values are:

WITH BIRDS
worn: $1500 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $1800
well preserved: $2200
fully uncirculated: $3200

NO BIRDS
worn: $50 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $200
fully uncirculated: $300

These are catalog values. Coins with problems such as scratches, stains, spots, or cleanings will never reach these values. Please read our Important Terminology page to understand how catalog values work.

To get a better idea of how value varies with condition and eye appeal, consider the six dollars shown below. (CoinQuest thanks Stack's Bowers for use of the photos of the top-notch coins in this image.) Coins on the left have the birds and are very valuable. Not so much for coins on the right. Use the (A), (B), (C), (1), (2), (3) codes explained below to get an idea of value for these six examples.

(A) This is a $4000 US dollar coin with absolutely no wear, superb luster, and fantastic eye appeal. It would probably sell retail for $3500 to $4500. A coin dealer might buy it for $2500 to $3000.

(B) The (B) coin has some wear and has lost all luster. Eye appeal is below average. This coin would probably sell retail for $2200 or so, and a dealer might buy it for $1500.

(C) Even with troubles like plenty of wear, a dark look, and nicks and scratches on the surface and around the rim, this coin would still sell retail in the neighborhood of $1500. A dealer would probably buy it from you for $800 or there-abouts.

(1) The number (1) coin in our photo is a $300 item. It has oodles of frosty luster and absolutely no wear. If the discoloration around the rim were not present, the retail price might reach as high as $400. Selling this coin to a dealer would probably bring $150 to $200.

(2) This is a $150 coin. Just about all of the mint luster has been rubbed off by circulation, and there are several small scratches that detract from eye appeal. A dealer might pay $50 to $75 to buy it from you.

(3) The (3) coin is a sad specimen. Not only is the eye appeal tainted, but the poor thing has been drilled through to make a key chain or something. A novice collector might buy it for $30. If you had this coin to sell, a dealer would probably give you $5 for it, which is less that the value of silver it contains.

But we are not done yet. Chinese coins are notorious for counterfeiting. (Maybe some day China will grow up as a nation and put a stop to their counterfeit operations.) This coin, like most Chinese coins, are heavily counterfeited. There is a good discussion thread about counterfeit junk dollars over at CoinCommunity.com. You can see a side-by-side comparison of one fake vs. real below. There may be several other fakes out there.


If you think you might have a fake junk dollar, take it to a knowledgeable collector or professional coin dealer for an in-person appraisal. You can submit your coin for authentication and grading to PCGS, ICG, NGC, or ANACS (do not use other services). When dealing with Chinese coins -- or any coin, for that matter -- always deal with people you trust.