How to Identify the Aksu Mint 10 Cash

Begin with the coin's basic construction. The Aksu Mint 10 Cash is a round, struck copper coin with no central hole. That alone separates it from the older cast Chinese cash, which are round with a square hole and show soft, cast relief. A struck coin has sharper, die-defined detail and a raised rim; note the reddish-brown to dark copper color rather than the color of any precious metal.

Read the obverse. Look for a ring of Chinese characters running around the outside and a denomination mark at the center expressing the value of ten cash. The script and layout follow the provincial style of Xinjiang coinage rather than the coinage of China's eastern provinces, so the overall look is distinctly regional.

Examine the reverse. Expect additional Chinese characters in a circular arrangement combined with geometric and floral ornament. This decorative treatment is a hallmark of Xinjiang copper coins of the period and, together with the legends, is what you use to confirm a Xinjiang (rather than an eastern-Chinese) origin.

Pin down Aksu specifically and watch for look-alikes. Several Xinjiang mints used similar formats, so attribution to Aksu depends on reading the mint and province references in the legends and matching the coin to catalogued Xinjiang types. Compare diameter, weight, and the exact wording and ornament. Weakly struck or worn examples are common on frontier coppers and can be hard to attribute, so a legible legend is important.

Apply authentication caution. Confirm that the coin is genuinely struck copper with period-consistent wear and surfaces, not a cast reproduction or a cleaned and re-toned piece. Because Xinjiang types are easy to misattribute and scarcer varieties attract fakes, check the legends carefully against reference images and seek specialist opinion before paying a premium for any supposed rare Aksu type.