Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
May 2020 Hong Kong Auction 4-6 May 2020
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CHINA. Southern Song Dynasty. Gold Leaf Tael, ND (ca. 1127-1279). VERY FINE.
China Numismatic Museum-220 (same inscription). 95.22 x 38.58 mm. Weight: 37.49 gms. A VERY RARE and fragile artifact with a relatively low survival rate. The central inscription reads "Chen Er Lang Tie Xian Xiang Shi Fen Jin". Complete sheet of ten leaves folded nine times in equal even horizontal segments like a piece of paper. Each sheet is stamped with the main inscription in the centers and once in each corner with a four character stamp. The majority of the stamps are clear with nearly full complete inscriptions. Crinkled surfaces as is common for objects of this type and would be expected for such a historical item of this nature. Attractive red earthen deposits are noted throughout in protected areas lending to its originality and giving it a great look certain to catch the attention of specialists of early Chinese numismatics.
China Numismatic Museum-220 (same inscription). 95.22 x 38.58 mm. Weight: 37.49 gms. A VERY RARE and fragile artifact with a relatively low survival rate. The central inscription reads "Chen Er Lang Tie Xian Xiang Shi Fen Jin". Complete sheet of ten leaves folded nine times in equal even horizontal segments like a piece of paper. Each sheet is stamped with the main inscription in the centers and once in each corner with a four character stamp. The majority of the stamps are clear with nearly full complete inscriptions. Crinkled surfaces as is common for objects of this type and would be expected for such a historical item of this nature. Attractive red earthen deposits are noted throughout in protected areas lending to its originality and giving it a great look certain to catch the attention of specialists of early Chinese numismatics.
It wasn't until fairly recent that the existence of Gold Leaf money from the Southern Song Dynasty was confirmed through examples being cataloged in museum collections and survivors coming in to the market place. For many decades this series of gold currency was unknown to the collecting community but has now been published and categorized to some extent having been discovered in Hangzhou, Huzhou, Wenzhou in Zhejiang province and have established multiple inscriptions.
Estimate: $7000.00- $9000.00