Japan: Meiji silver Proof Pattern Yen Year 3 (1870) PR64 NGC,...

Description

Rare & Historically Significant Early Pattern Yen

Meiji silver Proof Pattern Yen Year 3 (1870) PR64 NGC, Royal mint, KM-Pn16, J&V-Q1 (Extremely Rare). By L. C. Wyon. An exceedingly rare Pattern for the first machine-struck silver Yen of Japan, minted shortly after the newly restored Meiji government established an official silver standard in 1870 as part of a radical adoption of round and decimalized coinage. Very few of these silver Yen Patterns are known to us today, this piece bearing the second-highest certified grade after two NGC-certified PR65s. In addition to these silver pieces, two white-metal examples are recorded in William Hocking's The Catalogue of the Coins, Tokens, Medals, Dies and Seals in the Museum of the Royal Mint, Vol II (pp. 140-141, die nos. 4040, 4041); PCGS currently reports one white-metal Pattern on their census.

Absolute rarity aside, the conditional excellence of the piece at hand cannot be understated. Alongside hints of teal and amethyst, persimmon and amber patination crackles in the watery expanses, appearing to the eye as liquid gold on the obverse. The devices are immaculately preserved from the sunburst motif down to the articulated dragon scales, with any further clarity becoming hard to imagine during in-hand inspection. Our previous offering of this Norman Jacobs example included the following anecdote: This particular coin was purchased in a Stack's World Sale after WWII, at which Norman Jacobs was in attendance. This lot was about to go to a mail bidder for $40, when the auctioneer asked Mr. Jacobs if he was willing to bid any higher. Jacobs responded OK. The auctioneer then informed him that, "Vermeule (Jacobs' future co-author of the J&V reference) won't be happy about this." All in all, this specimen offers historical, conditional, and absolute appeal and will undoubtedly land in the most-sought after lots in this sale.

During this period of monetary revision, designs for eight new denominations, including the silver Yen, were originally prototyped by Japanese master engraver Natsuo Kano, assisted by Tomoo Masuda, and calligrapher, Hyoka Ishii. The designs were transported to the Royal mint in London in 1870, where engraver Leonard Charles Wyon prepared dies for the new denominations. In April of that year, it is believed that mintmaster Thomas William Kinder arrived in Osaka and delivered the patterns to officials at the newly-established Osaka mint. Though the reverse was ultimately redesigned, these Patterns represent the first machine-struck issues for Japan and for all intents and purposes, ushered in an extensive monetary revolution that continues to define Modern Japanese coinage.

Ex. Dr. Norman Jacobs Collection (Heritage Auction 3015, September 2011, Lot 24343)

From the Peh Family Collection

Metal: Silver
Diameter: 39mm

珍罕且具有歷史意義的早期日本樣幣

明治三年（1870）一圓精製銀樣幣。PR64 NGC。
皇家造幣廠。由L. C. Wyon操刀。這枚可遇不可求的樣幣是日本首批機製幣，問世於1870年明治維新不久後，政府建立銀本位制之時，是為全面革新幣制為十進制的措施之一。這批銀幣中有幸流傳至今者寥寥可數，目前在NGC的記錄中僅見四例，PCGS則為兩例。此幣之評分僅稍遜於兩枚NGC PR65。除銀質樣幣外，William Hocking在《Catalogue of the coins, tokens, medals, dies and seals in the museum of the Royal Mint》卷二（第140-141頁，模具編號4040、4041）中亦記載了以白合金作材質的兩例。PCGS的記錄中目前僅見一枚白合金樣幣的評分記錄。

除了無可比擬的稀罕程度外，當前此幣的品相亦不容忽視。除了一抹青綠和晶紫外，橘黃和琥珀色的包漿在水樣靈動的底板上肆意蔓生，仿如玉液瓊漿在眼前流動幻化。圖文保存呵護備至，從旭日東升到栩栩如生的片片龍鱗，在手上細看時無一不呈現出超凡卓絕的精巧細節。敝司先前已曾經手這枚出自諾曼.雅各布集藏的珍品，其身世非凡傳奇。此幣是在二戰後於環球拍賣中購入。當時拍賣官詢問雅各布先生會否以更高價格投標，他回應道﹕可以。拍賣官告訴他﹕「那Vermeule（日後與雅各布合著J&V目錄的共同作者）將不太高興了。」總而言之，此幣集歷史意義、絕佳品相、悅目外觀於一世，毫無疑問將會成為是次拍賣中最受注視的一項拍品。

當時日本正處於幣制改革，共提出了包括銀質一圓在內的八款新面額，並由雕刻大師加納夏雄在增田友夫和書法家石井宏的輔助下完成設計。設計方案隨後在1870年被送至倫敦皇家造幣廠，由雕刻師Leonard Charles Wyon預備模具。同年四月，相傳當時的造幣廠廠長親臨大阪，向新建的大阪造幣局官員交付這批樣幣。雖然背面最終被重新設計，但這批樣幣仍為日本首批機製幣，見證了日本全面推行貨幣改革，以重新釐定現代日本幣制的進程。

出自：諾曼雅格斯博士舊藏（2011年9月海瑞得拍賣#3015）
白家珍品集藏系列




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