Lin Xiao stepped forward and said, "Old man, can I take a look?"
The old man glanced at him and asked, "Got money? If you don't, don't waste my time."
Hearing this, Lin Xiao smiled. The old man's disdainful look didn't seem like part of an act.
"I have money, don't worry."
He took out his phone and showed the balance.
When the old man saw the 80,000 Yuan, he immediately unwrapped the cloth, revealing seven silver dollars. "Here, take a look."
"What's Boss Lin doing?"
"He's watching a performance, what are you looking at?"
"Why bother looking at something that's obviously fake?"
"Boss Lin really is bored."
The viewers didn't take it seriously at first, thinking Lin Xiao was just wasting time.
Lin Xiao picked up one coin. As soon as it touched his hand, the system's prompt appeared.
He didn't look at it right away, instead choosing to examine the coin himself.
Having just acquired the Modern and Contemporary Coin Recycling Handbook, when it came to identifying modern coins, he would call himself second, with no one daring to claim the top spot.
He placed the silver dollar in his palm, weighing it, then ran his fingers along the edge's serrated teeth, and finally studied the design.
The coin had a diameter of 39 mm, with a profile of Yuan Shikai on the obverse, surrounded by the six characters Zhonghua Minguo Sannian (Republic of China, Year 3).
On the reverse, two ears of grain encircled the characters Yi Yuan (One Yuan).
After a moment, Lin Xiao reached his conclusion.
It was real!
This one was real!
His heart lifted in joy, but he still glanced at the system's prompt.
Although he was certain, he checked the system's evaluation to be sure.
Item: Coin.
Details: Yuan Shikai portrait with ears of grain, Year 3 of the Republic of China, with Eagle-Yang edge.
Material: Silver.
Era: 1914.
Condition: Used.
Quality: Excellent.
Summary: A collectible item!
Market Price: 33,000 Yuan.
Recycling Price: 30,000 Yuan.
...
Lin Xiao held his composure and carefully inspected the remaining coins.
He confirmed that all seven were real.
Among them, four had the Eagle-Yang edge, and three had the T-shaped edge.
The Eagle-Yang edge was characterized by serrated edges, shaped like eagle wings, while the T-shaped edge resembled the letter T.
The T-shaped edge was worth 5,000 Yuan more than the Eagle-Yang edge.
Not all Yuan Shikai coins were valuable.
Even authentic ones could be bought for just a few thousand Yuan, or even a few hundred.
They were real, but cheap.
Why?
Because so many Yuan Shikai coins were minted, with so many variations.
What made them truly valuable were the misprints, signature editions, or coins minted during special periods.
In short, rarity made them valuable.
The fewer coins there were, the more valuable they became.
But Lin Xiao was lucky. These seven coins, though from Year 3 of the Republic, were trial strike samples.
To determine whether a coin was a trial strike sample, one needed to check the edge teeth.
The T-shaped edge and Eagle-Yang edge were unique to trial strike coins.
The officially minted Year 3 coins didn't have these edges.
"Finished looking?"
The old man was getting impatient.
Lin Xiao nodded, "I'll take them."
Before the old man could respond, the nearby vendor couldn't hold back anymore. "Kid, you like this, huh? I have them here, not for 5,000, I'll sell them to you for 4,500!"
In today's market, fools like this weren't common, and the vendor didn't want to miss the chance.
Lin Xiao pretended to be curious. "You have them here?"
The vendor, sensing the opportunity, bent over and grabbed a bunch of coins from the stall. "I've got plenty, Gansu edition, Tianjin edition, signed versions… whatever you want, I've got it. If I don't, I'll go find some elsewhere."
The old man got anxious. "Kid, mine are the real deal, truly authentic, passed down from my grandfather. Can his coins compare to mine?"
Lin Xiao hesitated, "But his are cheaper."
The old man shot back, "You looked at mine first! You said you wanted them! You can't back out now!"
Lin Xiao hesitated, appearing to struggle internally without speaking.
The viewers went from confused to suspicious to realizing what was happening.
"Could it be that the old man's Yuan Shikai coins are real?"
"Boss Lin's expression... It really looks like they're real!"
"Damn, what happened to the script?"
Lin Xiao thought for a long time, then shook his head and looked at the old man. "Transfer the money."
The vendor froze.
No, did you hear what I said?
I didn't say it directly, but any normal person could understand what I meant!
His coins are fake!
Mine are also fake, but mine are cheaper!
Are you really going to waste your money like this?
The vendor was frustrated but couldn't directly accuse the old man of selling fakes.
If he did, there'd be a confrontation.
So, he could only watch enviously as Lin Xiao paid, and the old man handed over the coins with a grin, then took out his phone and dialed a number as he walked away, saying, "I'm coming right over, watch me flip this!"
Lin Xiao: …
The vendor: …
The viewers: …
So the old man is a gambler too?
After the old man left, the vendor couldn't help but speak up, looking at Lin Xiao with pity: "You've been sold a fake."