I have a Johnson expanded 1972 Eisenhower dollar expanded shell that fits great over all of my regular 1972 Eisenhower dollars.

But it does not fit over any of my dollar-sized Luohanqian Chinese coins. Too tight.

Johnson makes a Hong Kong coin in dollar size, but I have no idea if it would fit inside my Eisenhower shell. I have a 2012 Johnson half shell that fits over their Chinatown Half. But I have heard (correct me if I’ve heard wrong) that their half dollar sized Hong Kong coins run a little bigger than their Chinatown Half coins (which itself seems like kind of an odd discrepancy, such that expanded half dollar shells won’t fit, so there’s no guarantee that a dollar-sized HK coin will fit their Eisenhower shell.

Add to that the additional odd discrepancy that my Johnson 1972 half dollar shell won’t fit over a Chinatown Half, but my 2012 Johnson half dollar shell will fit, and I’ve really got nothing to go on. (Odd that 1972 and 2012 expanded Johnson shells differ in size like that, too.)

So, no idea what to do. No certainty or standardization to work from. Would a Mogan expanded shell fit a Hong Kong or Luohanqian dollar sized coin? Who knows?

Anyone know, from experience, what combination of dollar shell and Chinese coin definitely fit well together?

I do not have an answer for you but this gentleman may...
https://tomladshawmagic.com/index.php?route=common/home
Check out his Chinese coin sets while there.

In fairness to Johnson, I just realized/remembered something important: my 1972 half dollar shell set isn't actually a Johnson set after all. That’s the one that doesn’t fit Luohanqian coins. It’s a Lassen set, made back during that very brief period when Lassen started doing clad coin sets (and I think it was done by a hired assistant, who didn’t last long). The shell isn’t expanded much if at all, as the regular halves that fit it look cut down a bit (their edges show more bare copper than usual). Just trying to set the record straight. So maybe less variation merely by year alone than I at first suspected.

Still, I don’t know for sure if a Hong Kong dollar sized coin will fit inside a Johnson exp Eisenhower shell, since again I *think* I heard the HK coins (at least their half dollar sized ones) run large. Can anyone advise?

Call them @ (626) 445-1411. They are very helpful!

Doug

I did email them. Kathy there confirmed that their expanded Eisenhower dollar shell will indeed fit over their dollar-sized "regular" Hong Kong coin (as distinct from the HK shell).

She also confirmed that their expanded Kennedy half shell does NOT fit over their half-dollar-sized "regular" Hong Kong coin (which is too big to fit).

That seems a rather odd manufacturing decision. Their Chinatown Half, and its own matching regular Chinese coin (which is also part of their Copper Silver Brass set), fit in their half dollar shells. But their Hong Kong shelled coin set's matching regular Hong Kong coin does not? Hmmm....

Karnak, I think you had a lack of communication with Johnson. The product called Hong Kong Coin was always a large thick coin for a coin off ribbon effect. That is why it would have been best to call, and use your voice. or send pictures with your emails. They do have half dollar size Chinese style coins, but they are for a different purpose very thin brass.

Also remember there are 2 kinds of shell half dollar coins, the expanded and non-expanded.

The tango dollar sized coins fit my Morgan shell and I have an old sterling (I could be wrong) styled dollar sized coin that fits my Morgan shell too