LostDutchman

I have never heard that before...It could very well be true... When I was a kid my family and I went to egypt... I was about 8 at the time but I was already collecting. The vendors there selling goods and trinkets I remember watching my mother pay for something with a US $20 and the vendor then put a stamp or somthing on the reverse and put it with a wad of others and then into his pocket...I have been under the assumption that these marks were a form of chops used only by vendors...but I could see it being used at currency excanges

I am just going to post them as I find them...there are some neat ones

These were all found on the back of $100 Bills This note was in the middle east. Most likely Saudi Arabia. Notice the chop over an existing one. Asian chop.

Before I get started I want to ask a question. Have you ever had a $50 or $100 bill and wondered where it has been? Have you ever noticed little stamps or markings on the backs of these bills? These are chop marks. Chop marks were made famous by US trade dollars. They were used earlier on Spanish milled dollars that went overseas. They were used to mark a coin as yours because either a bank does not exist near you or because the banks that are near you don't take that particular currency or coin. If you mark a coin and someone steals it you are able to identify it. This tradition continues today in cities in the Middle East and Asia. I am going to start to document these marks as I find them on modern American currency. The US dollar is the most traded currency in the world. I will use this thread to post pictures of the stamps I find. If you find any please feel free to post an image.

copper washed planchet

Sintered Planchet

here are some clipped planchets

this planchet was not properly mixed

the left cent is plated with brass and the right coin has been plated normally with copper

Indian Head Cent on 3 Cent Nickel Planchet

Quarter on Nickel planchet

Cent on dime planchet

nickel on cent planchet

here is an example

I am going to central states....if you need some seated dollars....i can do some looking....I was able to help tiff out

I paid $40 for mine FYI

That coin was struck through what appears to be a die cap that was falling apart....You find them from time to time...I have one at the shop right now....i think it's neat you can see how it was starting to fall apart

who's idea was it to put the last 4 on there?????? lol

typical example of a brockage

This coin was struck on a planchet that split before being struck....