Heritage World Coin Auctions
Hong Kong Signature Sale 3077 5-6 Dec 2019
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China
Kweichow. Republic "Auto" Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS61 PCGS, KM-Y428, L&M-609, Kann-757, WS-1109. Two blades of grass variety. Representing a near-iconic type, the Kweichow "Auto" Dollar is one of the few coins for which even a briefly uttered two word name conjures an instant and complete mental picture, an evocation not only of great rarity and desirability but also of a status that is reached by only a select few types.
The issue, struck to commemorate the first road in the Kweichow Province, features the automobile owned by the provincial Governor himself, proudly displayed as a statement on China's progress and modernization. It is unusual in its subject matter, since, as many collectors will be aware, the coinage of the period, both in China and around the world, tended to gravitate toward portrayals of more traditional motifs, such as national symbols or personifications of ideals like freedom and liberty. The representation of an automobile, then, an object of modernity and the result of unprecedented technological process, is unusual indeed, a factor that, in addition to the type's great scarcity, has contributed to sustained and even growing collector interest.
A cursory view of past examples that have sold on auction quickly reveals that the near entirety of the certified population consists of circulated specimens, with the majority failing to meet standards for even AU-level preservation. It is with tremendous excitement, then, that we offer this coin, preserved to its full and original level of detail. The fields, toned to the slightest degree, express glassy argent luster, tempered slightly by a delicate overlying silver patina which evenly graces the obverse and reverse surfaces. Light handling throughout accounts for the grade, though, as no singularly significant distractions exist, eye appeal remains strong in its own right, yet more so when considered in the context of being tied to so remarkable a type.
The opportunity to acquire another Mint State example of this issue may not come again for quite some time, but what is certain is that this example, the finest certified by PCGS to-date, will leave its future owner with the honorable stewardship of a verifiable treasure of Asian numismatics.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/china/kweichow-province/china-kweichow-republic-auto-dollar-year-17-1928-ms61-pcgs-/a/3077-38180.s?type=CoinArchives3077
HID02906262019
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 100000-150000 USD
Kweichow. Republic "Auto" Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS61 PCGS, KM-Y428, L&M-609, Kann-757, WS-1109. Two blades of grass variety. Representing a near-iconic type, the Kweichow "Auto" Dollar is one of the few coins for which even a briefly uttered two word name conjures an instant and complete mental picture, an evocation not only of great rarity and desirability but also of a status that is reached by only a select few types.
The issue, struck to commemorate the first road in the Kweichow Province, features the automobile owned by the provincial Governor himself, proudly displayed as a statement on China's progress and modernization. It is unusual in its subject matter, since, as many collectors will be aware, the coinage of the period, both in China and around the world, tended to gravitate toward portrayals of more traditional motifs, such as national symbols or personifications of ideals like freedom and liberty. The representation of an automobile, then, an object of modernity and the result of unprecedented technological process, is unusual indeed, a factor that, in addition to the type's great scarcity, has contributed to sustained and even growing collector interest.
A cursory view of past examples that have sold on auction quickly reveals that the near entirety of the certified population consists of circulated specimens, with the majority failing to meet standards for even AU-level preservation. It is with tremendous excitement, then, that we offer this coin, preserved to its full and original level of detail. The fields, toned to the slightest degree, express glassy argent luster, tempered slightly by a delicate overlying silver patina which evenly graces the obverse and reverse surfaces. Light handling throughout accounts for the grade, though, as no singularly significant distractions exist, eye appeal remains strong in its own right, yet more so when considered in the context of being tied to so remarkable a type.
The opportunity to acquire another Mint State example of this issue may not come again for quite some time, but what is certain is that this example, the finest certified by PCGS to-date, will leave its future owner with the honorable stewardship of a verifiable treasure of Asian numismatics.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/china/kweichow-province/china-kweichow-republic-auto-dollar-year-17-1928-ms61-pcgs-/a/3077-38180.s?type=CoinArchives3077
HID02906262019
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 100000-150000 USD