China: Kwangtung. Kuang-hsü Specimen Dollar ND (1890-1908) SP67 PCGS,...

Description

Immaculate 'Standard Pattern' Kwangtung Dollar Ranking as the Finest Graded

Kwangtung. Kuang-hsü Specimen Dollar ND (1890-1908) SP67 PCGS, Kwangtung mint, KM-Y203, L&M-133, Chang-CH178, Kann-26a, WS-0941, Wenchao-563, Chang Foundation-Unl. Variety with Ku not connected. Struck from dies engraved in Heaton, Birmingham. Quite simply magnificent, and a coin which could hardly be meaningfully improved upon. Only very rarely does a coin of this age survive with such splendid originality, and so readily recognized as the absolute best of the best, as the present specimen--hardly a blemish can be found over surfaces that glimmer from an abundance of die polish lines, all carefully decorated in a halo of sky-blue tone framing a central dragon silhouetted by electric purple highlights. Even without the aid of magnification, the standout quality of the piece is immediately evident, its utter perfection very nearly mimicking what might be expected from a Pattern Proof of Record. Even given its standout certification of SP67, the coin could easily been seen with a star or plus for its one-of-a-kind visual appeal. Missing from such major collections as Jacobs and Wa She Wong, with perhaps only the Goodman example approaching this piece in terms of technical preservation, not a single other certified representative approaches this offering, the next finest at both major grading services being a small cluster of SP65's. Through-and-through a connoisseur's coin par excellence, and likely among the finest, if not the finest, that exists.

Representing the culmination of a series of trials and experiments aimed at modernizing China's coinage, the so-called "standard pattern" Kwangtung Dollars produced between 1890 to 1908 would become the model for all other silver Dollars minted in the Empire. The design had gone through several iterations before reaching its final state, owing first to the disastrous hoarding of silver brought about by the original "heavy" standard on which the first patterns were based (weighing 7 Mace and 3 Candareens), and secondly to the distasteful juxtaposition of Chinese and English text on the obverses of the 1889 and early 1890 issues. Though the mint in Canton had by this period assumed the mintage of such coins, dies continued to be supplied by the Heatons, who had secured the original contract in 1888.

Ex. ANS Museum Duplicate (Acquisition date 1937)

Metal: Silver
Diameter: 39mm
Weight: 27g
ASW: 0.7812oz

NOTE: This lot was manufactured in China and was sourced from outside the United States for this auction after September 1, 2019. Under the new US tariffs on Chinese goods, collector's items from China will be subject to a 7.5% import tariff. Any clients who wish to take delivery of this item in the United States should be aware of this added charge, and consult their tax adviser with any questions. If you choose to take delivery in the United States and purchase both tariffed and non-tariffed lots from this auction, please note that the automatic invoice you receive after the auction will be incorrect; you will be emailed revised invoices shortly afterwards. The lots that fall under the tariff will be invoiced separately and will ship directly from our Hong Kong Office and carry a separate, additional shipping charge.

More information about Chinese Coins. See also: China.

史上最高分的完美「標準版廣東壹圓樣幣」

1890-1908年廣東省造光緒元寶七錢二分銀樣幣。SP67 PCGS。
廣東錢局鑄。「庫」字不相連的版別。所用模具均由伯明翰喜頓鑄幣厰製造，版別尤其珍罕。拍賣場上令人屏息靜氣的完美銀幣，可謂龍銀之王。現存光緒年間銀幣中，此枚品相著實超卓，萬中無一。幣面明净無瑕，細節銳利，模具磨光，配合天藍包漿，正中飛龍浮雕有紫色包漿勾勒輪廓。此幣之美觸目即是，魅力攝人，作爲NGC及PCGS入評史上最高分的龍銀實至名歸。此幣使用PCGS 三十周年紀念綠色標簽，SP67分。敝司認爲以其品相，值得星級或+級評分。遍尋各大名集藏，均未能找到品相可與之匹敵的例子，包括諾曼雅格斯博士集藏、黃華樞集藏，以至古德曼集藏。此極品以SP67分穩坐NGC及PCGS評級報告首位，以兩份只差抛離數枚SP65分的精品。現存龍銀中最高分的頂級大珍，尊貴無雙。

1890年至1908年間，廣東錢局造集全國技術之大成，鑄造第一批銀幣作爲大清銀幣的準繩，以抵制外國銀元。最初一批廣東省七錢三分銀幣因爲成色高，有厚利可圖，致使大部分均遭回爐以提取更多的銀子，令此銀幣未成功流通。加上1889年及1890年版別正面采用中英文文本并置，引起强烈抗議，首批中國機制銀元以失敗告終。此一廣東版新標準的設計因此而生產。當時廣東鑄幣厰雖可自行鑄幣，但繼續由喜頓造幣厰采購模具，該厰自1888年起承包所有模具供應。

出自：ANS美國錢幣學會博物館舊藏

View Certification Details from PCGS