Heritage World Coin Auctions
Hong Kong Signature Sale 3084 12-13 Jul 2020
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Hong Kong
British Colony. Victoria bronzed-copper Specimen Unadopted "First Opium War" Military Decoration 1842 SP65 PCGS, Fonrobert-Unl., Barac-Unl., BHM-Unl., Eimer-Unl. 36mm. By William Wyon. VICTORIA REGINA, crowned youthful portrait of Queen Victoria left / ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM, British lion with paws atop suppressed Chinese dragon; NANKING 1842, in exergue. Likely among the finest surviving examples of this extremely rare decoration, of which only a handful are thought to exist. Originally proposed by William Wyon as an award for participants in the First Opium War, the design was quickly discarded due to its depiction of a vanquished dragon, the thought being that its illustration might unnecessarily harm the mending of relations between Great Britain and China. While the Treaty of Nanking was intended to shore up these wounds, it proved largely ineffective, and ultimately led to the Second Opium War between 1856 and 1860. This is only the second example of this medal in copper that we have handled, the last with some corrosion spots bringing nearly $8500 in our June 2018 Hong Kong sale, with no others appearing to have come to auction in the meantime. Of the utmost rarity as such, and sure to appeal to collectors of Chinese, Hong Kong, and British medals.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/hong-kong/hong-kong-british-colony-victoria-bronzed-copper-specimen-unadopted-first-opium-war-military-decoration-1842-sp65/a/3084-30276.s?type=CoinArchives3084
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD
British Colony. Victoria bronzed-copper Specimen Unadopted "First Opium War" Military Decoration 1842 SP65 PCGS, Fonrobert-Unl., Barac-Unl., BHM-Unl., Eimer-Unl. 36mm. By William Wyon. VICTORIA REGINA, crowned youthful portrait of Queen Victoria left / ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM, British lion with paws atop suppressed Chinese dragon; NANKING 1842, in exergue. Likely among the finest surviving examples of this extremely rare decoration, of which only a handful are thought to exist. Originally proposed by William Wyon as an award for participants in the First Opium War, the design was quickly discarded due to its depiction of a vanquished dragon, the thought being that its illustration might unnecessarily harm the mending of relations between Great Britain and China. While the Treaty of Nanking was intended to shore up these wounds, it proved largely ineffective, and ultimately led to the Second Opium War between 1856 and 1860. This is only the second example of this medal in copper that we have handled, the last with some corrosion spots bringing nearly $8500 in our June 2018 Hong Kong sale, with no others appearing to have come to auction in the meantime. Of the utmost rarity as such, and sure to appeal to collectors of Chinese, Hong Kong, and British medals.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/hong-kong/hong-kong-british-colony-victoria-bronzed-copper-specimen-unadopted-first-opium-war-military-decoration-1842-sp65/a/3084-30276.s?type=CoinArchives3084
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD