Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
April 2021 Hong Kong Auction 5-8 Apr 2021
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(t) CHINA. Silver Medal of Merit for the Qing Dynasty, ND (1896). PCGS Genuine--Cleaned, Unc Details Gold Shield.
L&M-989; Li-P.33. Imperial envoy. Also known as the "Legation" medal. Commemorating Li Hung Chang's world tour. Both sides identical: Two facing dragons, a sun design between with six characters above and four below, the whole encircled by an ornamental border. A tiny incuse "AAГ" (in Cyrillic characters) appears at 6 o'clock on the ring between the dragons and the ornamented border. This and other subtle differences in the design suggest that this piece was from an earlier striking as the Envoy traveled westward. It is known that the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England also produced these medals. It seems reasonable that the pieces with the initials are of Russian manufacture, and those without are from the Birmingham mint. Well struck with flashy fields and even light gray toning, with loop soldered at 12 o'clock.
Estimate: $5000.00- $7000.00
L&M-989; Li-P.33. Imperial envoy. Also known as the "Legation" medal. Commemorating Li Hung Chang's world tour. Both sides identical: Two facing dragons, a sun design between with six characters above and four below, the whole encircled by an ornamental border. A tiny incuse "AAГ" (in Cyrillic characters) appears at 6 o'clock on the ring between the dragons and the ornamented border. This and other subtle differences in the design suggest that this piece was from an earlier striking as the Envoy traveled westward. It is known that the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, England also produced these medals. It seems reasonable that the pieces with the initials are of Russian manufacture, and those without are from the Birmingham mint. Well struck with flashy fields and even light gray toning, with loop soldered at 12 o'clock.
Estimate: $5000.00- $7000.00