Heritage World Coin Auctions
Hong Kong Signature Sale 3074 27-28 Jun 2019
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China
Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chong Zhen (1628-1644) Hunan "Waisted" Sycee of 50 Taels Year 11 (c. 1638) AU, 80x146mm. 1848.39gm. Cast in Chaling County by silversmith Zhang Shan. Stamped in four vertical columns, reading, from right to left: "Chaling Xian" (Chaling County), "Chong Zhen Shi Yi Nian" (Year 11 of Chong Zhen), "Fen Gui Fu Lu Yin Wu Shi Liang Zheng" (Silver Ingot 50 Taels), "Yin Jiang Zhang Shan" (Silversmith Zhang Shan). An extremely rare example of this heaviest weight sycee from the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the next largest we have been able to locate coming to auction being a 25 Taels. Richly aged and remarkably original, each of the individual characters beautifully hand-cut rather than stamped, the whole of the piece appears a soft graphite in color with notable champagne-tinged luster emerging around the inscriptions. Even close examination reveals hardly a scratch or unoriginal mark, a truly impressive feat for any large-size piece of this age, let alone a heavy tax ingot which would seldom have been carefully preserved.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 25000-30000 USD
Ming Dynasty. Emperor Chong Zhen (1628-1644) Hunan "Waisted" Sycee of 50 Taels Year 11 (c. 1638) AU, 80x146mm. 1848.39gm. Cast in Chaling County by silversmith Zhang Shan. Stamped in four vertical columns, reading, from right to left: "Chaling Xian" (Chaling County), "Chong Zhen Shi Yi Nian" (Year 11 of Chong Zhen), "Fen Gui Fu Lu Yin Wu Shi Liang Zheng" (Silver Ingot 50 Taels), "Yin Jiang Zhang Shan" (Silversmith Zhang Shan). An extremely rare example of this heaviest weight sycee from the last emperor of the Ming Dynasty, with the next largest we have been able to locate coming to auction being a 25 Taels. Richly aged and remarkably original, each of the individual characters beautifully hand-cut rather than stamped, the whole of the piece appears a soft graphite in color with notable champagne-tinged luster emerging around the inscriptions. Even close examination reveals hardly a scratch or unoriginal mark, a truly impressive feat for any large-size piece of this age, let alone a heavy tax ingot which would seldom have been carefully preserved.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 25000-30000 USD