English: B109.1      Khai Dinh Thong Bao 1916-25     Cast cash KM654, Y4 Rectangle-head Thong.

B109.2          —         — P-head Thong. Struck Cash KM655, Y5.1 There are at least 13 varieties of Khai Dinh's struck cash, probably more than most collectors will care to deal with! Some are the result of indifferent die work, while others are either deliberate or reflect a lack of concern with prototypes used by the engravers. Keys are the usual: character size & distance from rims; shape of Tong head; bei (box) of Bao central strokes closed or open on right, as well as Khai details: length of leftmost vertical stroke; upper right horizontal stroke as the diagonal below meets, crosses, or joins it. Hopefully this illustration will help. Weights range 2.25-2.50g even within varieties, down to 2.09 for worn pieces. B109.7          —         — Large chars. Bei: Open. Khai: strokes cross. ;

B109.5b          —         — Medium chars. Bei: Open. Khai: strokes meet. B109.5          —         —  —  —  — Bao leans left. (none in stock) B109.4          —         —  —  — Khai: strokes cross. (none in stock) B109.3A          —         —  —  — Khai: strokes meet. Bao: top below center rim. Khai: left vertical short. Dinh: high foot. B109.3b          —     ½6 Dinh: low foot. Poor workmanship. B109.3          —         —  — Bei: closed. Khai: strokes cross. Bao: Top below center rim. Khai: left vertical normal. Dinh: low foot. (109.3A-b may be copies of this?) B109.8a          —         — Helmet-head Thong. Bei: open. B109.8b          —         —  —  — smaller chars. B109.8c          —         —  — Bei: top stroke closed, bottom open ; B109.9          —         —  — Bei: closed. Khai: strokes join. Dinh: high foot. Exact var. of KM photo specimen. ; B109.6A          —     Small chars. Bei: open. Khai: strokes join.

B109.10          —     New style. Bao above center rim & many other variations.

B109.x          —     Struck Cash: Heavy KM656, Y5.2 Style of main variety of cast type, with vague inner & outer rims rev. Apparently unknown in Asia, but relatively common in U.S. collections and pictured as Y5.2 in the KM catalogs raising the possibility that it is a 1960's fake. I've never seen a circulated piece. 3.76, 3.83, 3.86, 3.86g.