Chopmark Research: Seeking Journal of East Asian Numismatics, Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan./Feb. 1995)
By: Taylor Leverage

Given the historically small collector base, most collections of chopmarked coins have been sold relatively quietly and without fanfare. There are exceptions - the Hal Walls Collection of World Trade Coins received a full catalog from Paul J. Bosco when it was sold in August 1997, and included an exceptional selection of chopmarked coins, such as the finest known 1878-CC Trade Dollar, a rare 1859-S Seated Dollar (one of an estimated five examples), and comprehensive sets of Mexican Pillar and Bust Eight Reales by date. However, the Walls Collection was an exception to the rule, and even that only provided plates for a select few pieces; collectors looking to trace the provenance of chopmarked coins today are often left trying to sift through scattered auction catalogs hoping for the odd reference here and there, such as the 1805-NG Guatemala Eight Reales shown here, which was plated as Lot 264 in Freeman Craig & Co. Mail Bid Auction 12 (November 14, 1984).

Soon after the publication of my reference on chopmarks in 2023 (By Weight, Not By Coyne: An Introduction to Chopmarked Coins), I turned my attention to preparing catalogs that could help collectors overcome the lack of provenance information available in the chopmark space, in collaboration with collector and numismatic photographer Dan Huntsinger. The first subject of this effort was Ed Murphy, today still an active and passionate collector, whose type collection extends to more than 500 pieces; this set was invaluable in acquiring reference images for my first book, and it was only logical to publish his full collection in a collected work. In 2024, a second reference took shape as the collecting space recognized that many pieces entering the market could be tied back to the collection of J.D. Bowman; while the collection had to be pieced back together through inventory lists published decades prior in The Chopmark News, many rare types were recorded that would otherwise have lost their connection to Bowman as they presumably pass from hand to hand.

The intended third subject for the 'catalog treatment' is the most well-known chopmark collection of all - that of F. M. Rose. Rose's set extended to more than 3,000 pieces per Michael Chou, who acquired and retailed the coins from Rose's estate, an effort that took many years and spread across multiple venues (mail bid sales, traditional auctions, early eBay listings, and show appearances, for instance). As a result, few pieces can be definitively traced to Rose's collection today with absolute certainty, apart from the ~175 coins plated in Chopmarks, Rose's seminal 1987 reference; these 'Rose Plate Coins' are highly coveted in the chopmark space today, but even so, the whereabouts of many remain unknown to the collecting community, including an 1892 Korea Five Yang, an 1809 Spain 20 Reales of Joseph Bonaparte, and an 1894 Guatemala Peso C/S on an 1877-So Chile Condor Peso, among many others. The 1896-Mo Mexico Eight Reales, displaying both commercial chopmarks and a large, red paper 'wedding chop' in the form of a double-happiness character, is one such Rose Plate Coin, identified as Fig. 15 in Chopmarks.

While the sheer scale of the Rose Collection and the means by which the coins were sold assures that the full set can never be fully documented, there are several resources available to assist in the research - in addition to the plates included in Rose's Chopmarks, recent research has uncovered a comprehensive 1973 inventory of the Col. Robert F. Kriz Collection of chopmarked coins, which was acquired by Rose c. 1980 and was the apparent source of many key rarities (the unique Hawaiian Dala and a choice 1799 US Bust Dollar, for instance). While no images are included, this inventory includes several hundred coins as well as descriptions of their chopmarks, and will be a key resource going forward. Additionally, the Journal of East Asian Numismatics featured a substantial selection of Rose coins in its first Mail Bid Sale (October 1994), which is believed to have been featured in J.E.A.N. Vol. 2, No. 1 (Jan./Feb. 1995). While this publication still exists and provides many of its more recent issues free of charge, these earlier printings are difficult to come by. If any E-Sylum reader has a copy of this particular issue that they are willing to sell or lend for the purposes of research, please reach out to me atchopmarkedtrades@gmail.com.

Additionally, little personal information is known about either Rose or Kriz, both of whom are significant figures in the chopmark collecting space. If any readers have information about them (specific details or personal anecdotes) or about the whereabouts of coins in their collection(s), please reach out so that information can be recorded in the upcoming catalog. Any images of previously 'lost' Rose Plate Coins or pieces that can be traced to the Kriz Collection (which frequently include his distinctive labels, as shown below) would be a significant find for the chopmark community.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
NEW BOOK: BY WEIGHT, NOT BY COYNE(https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n24a03.html)
NEW BOOK: ED MURPHY COLLECTION OF CHOPMARKED COINS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n43a06.html)
NEW BOOK: J.D. BOWMAN COLLECTION OF CHOPMARKED COINS(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n43a05.html)