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Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
April 2015 Hong Kong Auction - Sess. A-C  30 Mar-1 Apr 2015
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Lot 10258

Starting price: 24 000 USD
Price realized: 55 000 USD
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CHINA. Pattern 5 Mace, Year 29 (1903). Tientsin Mint. PCGS SP-64 Secure Holder.
L&M-2; K-928; KM-Pn294; WS-0017; Wenchao-pg. 117#80 (rarity three stars); Shanghai Museum--Mr. Shi Jiagan's collection-pg. 10#38; Sun-II-2-02. Struck in silver. Although struck at the Tientsin mint, the original dies were ordered from and prepared by the Osaka mint in Japan under the supervision of Robert Hart, Inspector General of Maritime Customs. The initial goal was an early attempt to unify Chinese coinage on the gold standard, producing denominations in 1 Tael, and 1/2, 1, 2 & 5 Mace. The project never went into full production for several reasons. One being that the outlined plan called for one central mint to be responsible for coinage production to insure the uniformity of the new coinage, which the directors of the provincial mints heavily resisted due to potential profit cuts. Also, at this time in China, there was no plan in place to deal with the vastly different types of paper money circulating and how to accept them in exchange. Of the utmost RARITY, this example is tied with one other piece at its grade with just one certified finer (PCGS SP-66). Needle sharp strike with even satiny grey toning with an abundance of luster showing through. This important issue is certainly worthy of the most sophisticated collection. PCGS SP-64 Secure Holder.

Estimate: $40000.00- $60000.00
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