Chinese chopmarks are characters and design which are usually stamped with punches into non-Chinese coins. The chops are the marks of Chinese businesses, banks, or bullion houses, therefore these chops are NOT official government symbols. Chops of imprinted ink are ocassionally seen as are cut-out paper chops, however, these types of chops are not particulary relevant. A Chinese Chopmark is applied as an endorsement guaranteeing the coins's authenticity. Obviously, the chopmark was an used as a defense against counterfeiting. A chopped coin if found imperfect, e.g. counterfit, could be returned to the merchant, bank or bullion house who marked the coin would be held responsible for repayment.

Coins of many countries have received the Chinese chops but the most popular coins used in the China trade came from Latin America and by the nineteenth century, especially Mexico. The Mexican Pillar and Bust 8 Reales, aka, "Mex Dollars" and the later the Cap & Rays, aka, "Eagle Dollars" were highly accepted by the Chinese. The Mexician 1869-1873 Balance Scale Peso, aka, "Balanza" were unpopular with the Chinese so these coins with the chop are rare.

As a chopped coin traveled through the Chinese ecomomy, it would pick up additional chops. Some collectors consider chopmarked coins to be damaged, aka, mutilated, the more the chopmaks, the more the damage. Coins with many chopmaks can be aesthetically very unappealing, still, a much chopped coin shows its travels through time. The chopmarks are pieces of history.