Watch List notes:

Victoria Sterling Silver Pattern 20 Cents 1873, Crowned bust of Queen Victoria left / Chinese characters, Hsiang Chiang Erh Hao (Hong Kong Two Tenth) within a beaded circle, Hong-Kong Twenty Cents 1873 around, unlisted in Pridmore and KM (the only listed 20 Cents is the regular issue, struck in .800 silver, with no mention in any publication of an 1873 pattern), reeded edge, Proof 64 PCGS. Superbly struck and deeply toned in shades of pink and turquoise with razor-sharp edge reeding. Unique, and lacking in all major collections including the Royal Mint, British Museum, and the Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corporation. While the Royal Mint has no example, it does have two plain edge (but not proof) 20 Cent pieces, which Graham Dyer, Curator of the Royal Mint believed are experimental pieces relating to the silver fineness.Listed on the PCGS holder as Bi-Metallic. Included with this lot is a copy of the Royal Mint report from 2000 stating that this is a striking in sterling silver, not the .800 fine silver of the 96,436 circulation strike coins. This report, read in full, states that the coin is, "made of a silver/copper alloy approximating 925 parts of silver per 1000 and this tended to be confirmed by a specific gravity determination of 10.34. In other words these first results indicated the use of a homogeneous alloy." This test result debunks the PCGS idea of a "Bi-Metallic" issue, and confirms that it is a sterling silver issue.The price of silver fell in 1873, as large quantities were released by both Germany and the United States. Because of the falling silver price, and a decline in the value of the silver coins, Hong Kong, and the Straits Settlements, considered raising the fineness of their coins to .925 (sterling). This proposal was not adopted, and Hong Kong silver coins continued to be struck in .800 fine silver. Obviously, one example was struck as a pattern in sterling (.925). A supremely important issue in the history of Hong Kong numismatics and the only 20 Cent pattern, or trial, in the Hong Kong series. Though numerous pattern, and trial, mils, cash, cents, 10 Cents, and Dollars were prepared, for the 20 Cents, this lovely Unique Reeded edge example, and two plain edge currency strikings in the Royal Mint collection seem to be all that exist.

Estimate: 30000.00-40000.00 USD