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Chop mark

戳記 ／ chopmark　—　Reading

A small verification stamp applied by the recipient as proof of inspection. Refers to the way silver coins were handled in China.

Chopmarked 8 Reales Chopmarked 8 Reales1808 Eagle Dollar (with chopmarks) Eagle Dollar (with chopmarks)1887
A photograph of what this word names.

A small verification stamp (戳記, chokki) applied by Chinese merchants upon receiving a silver coin as proof of inspection. Trade dollars bear countless overlapping chop marks, which trace their circulation history.

⚠ Not trusting the state's official stamp, but verifying with one's own eyes and scales—credit in the world of silver was built upon repeated inspections.