CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 57: MERCHANT FROM LUZON

Although the market doesn’t have the exact price for the Spanish platinum fake silver coin.

But this thing, which can tell a story and narrate history, is worth no less than a million no matter how it’s sold.

So Chen Yiyang didn’t continue to delay and directly drove to the old currency trading market.

Unlike antique trading, which is still in a rather wild era.

The domestic old currency trading market has become more systematic in recent years, mainly because this community has a relatively low threshold.

After all, the appraisal of various old currencies is much easier to learn compared to the myriad types of antiques.

Moreover, several authoritative rating agencies have emerged, completely unifying the old currency merchants.

Simply put, no matter where your old currency comes from, it has value only after being appraised and rated by these agencies.

Otherwise, it’s fake.

This is why Chen Yiyang didn’t keep a few of the Yuan Datou coins for himself to sell earlier.

Compared to the pawnshop, these old currency merchants are the real skinflints.

If your silver coins haven’t been appraised and rated, sorry, they’re worthless.

You either sell them cheaply or leave.

These old currency merchants have monopolized the channels and rules, ensuring consistency in price suppression against outsiders.

Upon arriving at the old currency trading market, Chen Yiyang discovered an orderliness different from other second-hand item trading venues.

Everyone sat behind counters, filled with various beautifully packaged silver coins, with detailed ratings written below them.

Occasionally, several people unfamiliar with the field bring their family-inherited silver coins or other old currencies.

They are immediately pressed down in price collectively.

"This is clearly a late Qing Dynasty item, at most two hundred."

"Fake, not worth anything."

"You need to get it rated first, then you can bring it here to sell."

Chen Yiyang was too lazy to join the crowd in the hustle and bustle of this well-established community, and outsiders can’t break through.

These merchants back large rating agencies; if they say your items aren’t right, you can only seek their recognized rating agency for appraisal to sell for a good price.

"Here to buy coins?" Chen Yiyang arrived at the stall mentioned in the intelligence.

The vendor was quite an elderly man.

He pointed to the well-packaged silver coins in his counter and said, "Ratings and prices are written above, no bargaining accepted."

Chen Yiyang looked around but didn’t find the silver coin he wanted.

So he asked, "Is this all?"

"It should be all," the old man replied, "I’m just looking after the shop for my son. He’s gone out of town. But I’ve acquired some unrated coins over the past couple of days; if you want to buy, you can take a look."

The old man finished speaking and brought up a basket of old coins.

"These were acquired from others; the items’ style is fine, but unrated; authenticity not guaranteed."

Chen Yiyang sifted through the basket of old coins, casually selecting two silver coins, then picking the Spanish silver coin he wanted to buy.

Though the old man was looking after the shop for his son, he was clearly an insider.

Seeing Chen Yiyang had chosen, he immediately said, "One 1982 Macau Zodiac Dog Commemorative Silver Coin, one Child-Giving Guanyin 3.3 Taels Commemorative Silver Coin, one 16th-century Spanish Silver Coin. Altogether, it’s thirty thousand."

"You’re selling unrated coins as if they were rated," Chen Yiyang, though a novice, could tell the price was off.

"Youngster, don’t think I can’t see through you. You’re just one of those who buy unrated coins, hoping their value will rise after rating.

The three you chose have great potential. If rated highly, their price could increase two- or threefold."

Alright then.

Chen Yiyang understood the old man assumed he was an insider, belonging to the circle’s lowest tier, lacking money to open his own shop, and thus seeking others’ acquired coins, confirmed genuine but unrated.

If rated as high quality, the coin’s price will rise accordingly.

So Chen Yiyang played along.

"These three coins, even rated, are worth only thirty thousand. You’re not leaving me any profit margin. How about twenty thousand?"

"The Macau commemorative coin and Child-Giving Guanyin coin in your hand, after rating, are definitely high-value coins; only this Spanish silver coin seems somewhat poor in appearance."

"How about these two coins for ten thousand, this one for five thousand, okay?"

"Forget it, not selling them to you; we’ll rate them ourselves." The old man took the other two coins from Chen Yiyang’s hands, then hesitantly looked at the remaining Spanish silver coin.

The value of silver coins mostly lies in their commemorative worth.

Legitimate circulating currency, unless issued in an extremely limited amount or as a misprint, isn’t valuable.

Due to their vast circulation, they don’t lend themselves to speculation.

Today, you push up the price of any country’s historically issued silver coin, only for someone to salvage an entire shipload of such coins from the sea the next day, inadvertently benefiting someone else.

Chen Yiyang’s Spanish silver coin is like that.

Circulating currency, poor condition, no misprint.

Price naturally isn’t high.

"Four thousand five, take it or leave it." Seeing the old man’s hesitation, Chen Yiyang directly offered a price.

"Why’d you lower it by five hundred?" the old man was anxious.

"Sell me those two as well, and I’ll offer five thousand for this one."

"Not selling those two, this one for four thousand five is four thousand five." The old man decisively thought that after rating, this Spanish silver coin wouldn’t be of high value either, so he decided to sell it now.

So Chen Yiyang paid the old man four thousand five and took away the seemingly unimpressive 16th-century Spanish silver coin.

With the silver coin, as soon as Chen Yiyang got into his car, his phone rang again.

It was Yang Yu.

"The boss you’re looking for is now in Jin City; I contacted him, and he wants to meet us both personally. Are you available now? Come to this restaurant, I’ll send you the address."

A naturally busy life.

Chen Yiyang put the Spanish silver coin into his card wallet and drove to the bank first.

He had previously kept the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company stocks here.

After retrieving the stocks, he drove to the location Yang Yu mentioned.

He pushed open the private room door.

A scholarly-looking middle-aged man sat inside, Yang Yu accompanying him.

Besides the two of them, the private room was empty.

Chen Yiyang entered and greeted the man.

"Huang Yuqiu." The man seemed more like a scholar than a businessman. "I’m from Luzon."

"Chen Yiyang." After stating his name, Chen Yiyang sat down directly.

Then, he straightforwardly asked, "What business are you planning to do on this visit to Jin City?"

"A fruit snack factory with a variety of products, like juice drinks, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, etc."

As the other casually introduced his business, Chen Yiyang was thinking of something else.