Cryptic crossword clue
Old Chinese coins left in sofa returned 5

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 letter word TAELS

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
A
E
L
S

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Old Chinese coins" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case old chinese coins = taels.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does TAELS mean?

TAELS noun
  1. Any of several units of measure used in China and elsewhere in eastern Asia, approximately 40 grams.
  2. Any of several monetary units equal to the equivalent weight in silver.
  3. Leung, a traditional unit of weight, in modern usage legally defined as 1/16 of a catty or kan (斤) or 0.0377993638 kilograms

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