Santa Ana, CA (April 13, 2020) – Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio is tremendously excited to present their May Hong Kong Coin and Paper Money auction—a monumental event that marks a decade of the firm’s sales in Asia. The sale has generated a great deal of interest due to its vast array of rare coins and paper money, over 3,850 lots in total. The anticipation has only grown as the auction had to be postponed from March to May as the world has seemingly been on pause. Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio hopes this exceptional sale will offer clients and bidders a chance to enjoy their enthusiasm for numismatics over the course of some very exciting and entertaining auction sessions.
Well cultivated and finely curated collections are the cornerstone of every great auction, and this sale is no different. The numerous collections vary greatly in focus and scope but are consistent in their quality and beauty. Further selections from the Mas Fera and Charles E. Tanant Collections are featured, augmented by the Trident (British trade dollars), MBMY (Chinese patterns), and Ta-Han/MCC (Chinese rarities) collections, with offerings in many divergent interests and areas.
From within the Chinese series, the many highlights include a newly discovered brass pattern dollar struck for Anhwei, a PCGS MS-63 that will appeal to connoisseurs of pattern issues and off-metal strikings. Also of note is the Sun Yat-sen/Junk pattern dollar proposed by the mint in Rome; the example in the Stack’s Bowers Galleries May Hong Kong auction offers immaculate, satiny surfaces. Among more recent pieces of great interest are three extremely rare Dragon & Phoenix concept designs, each dated to the year prior to their commercial production. These forerunners allow a glimpse into the creation of this series, always hotly collected and highly celebrated. On the paper money side, a rare issued Ta-Ching Government Bank 10 Dollars displays a captivating depiction of a dragon emerging from the clouds with the Great Wall below.
The auction’s offerings from outside of mainland China also present seldom-encountered opportunities, such as a stunning Hong Kong half dollar from 1866, graded PCGS PROOF-63 and an imposing gold and platinum bimetallic medal from Thailand, struck in celebration of the 50th year of Rama IX’s reign and certified NGC PROOF-63 Ultra Cameo. The earliest dated 10 Dollar note from the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking Corporation, which also happens to be the only example of the Pick number certified by PMG, is sure to capture the attention of bank note specialists.
Additional Auction Highlights include:
Chinese Republic & Modern Coins:
• Lot 41162: CHINA. Platinum 100 Yuan Proof Set (5 Pieces), 1992. Inventions & Discoveries – Series I. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• Lot 41169: CHINA. 450 Yuan Gold Piefort, 1979. International Year of the Child. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo.
• Lot 41307: CHINA. Silver Tael Pattern Restrike, CD (1906). Tientsin Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-63 Gold Shield.
• Lot 41345: CHINA. Silver "Reversed Dragon" Dollar Pattern, Year 3 (1911). PCGS SPECIMEN-64 Gold Shield.
• Lot 41409: CHINA. Copper 10 Cash Pattern, ND (1913). NGC Unc Details–Obverse Damage.
• Lot 41466: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 3 (1914). Tientsin Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-62 Gold Shield.
• Lot 41476: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, ND (1914). PCGS SPECIMEN-65+ Gold Shield.
Chinese Provincial Coins:
• Lot 42002: CHINA. Anhwei. Brass 1 Mace 4.4 Candareens (20 Cents) Pattern, Year 23 (1897). NGC MS-61.
• Lot 42012: CHINA. Chekiang. Silver 7.2 Candareens (10 Cents) Pattern, ND (1902). Heaton Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-65+ Gold Shield.
• Lot 42120: CHINA. Honan. Copper 20 Cash Pattern, CD (1909). NGC AU-55.
• Lot 42151: CHINA. Hupeh. 7 Mace 2 Candareens (Dollar), ND (1895-1907). NGC MS-66.
• Lot 42236: CHINA. Chingkiang-Chekiang. 10 Cash Mule, ND (1905). NGC EF-45.
• Lot 42291: CHINA. Kwangtung. Silver 3 Mace 6 Candareens (50 Cents) Pattern, ND (1889). NGC MS-63.
• Lot 42330: CHINA. Kweichow. Auto Dollar, Year 17 (1928). PCGS AU-50 Gold Shield.
• Lot 42493: CHINA. Yunnan. Rupee, ND (1907). PCGS EF-40 Gold Shield.
Hong Kong & other World Coins:
• Lot 40109: GREAT BRITAIN. Sovereign, 1871. London Mint. Victoria. PCGS PROOF-65+ Deep Cameo Gold Shield.
• Lot 40148: GREAT BRITAIN. Trade Dollar, 1935-B. Bombay Mint. George V. PCGS MS-63+ Gold Shield.
• Lot 40204: JAPAN. 20 Yen, Year 3 (1870). Mutsuhito (Meiji). NGC MS-64.
• Lot 40247: MONGOLIA. 50000 Tugriks, 1996. Lunar Series, Year of the Rat. GEM PROOF.
• Lot 40306: THAILAND. Chang (80 Baht or 20 Tamlung), CS 1242 (1880). Rama V, P’ra Paramin Maha Chulalonkorn.
• Lot 40326: THAILAND. Proto-Type Order of the Rajamitrabhorn Presentation Set, ND (Instituted 11 June 1962[BE2504]).
Paper Money:
• Lot 50007: CHINA–EMPIRE. Ming Dynasty. 1 Kuan, 1368-99. P-AA10. PMG Very Good 8 Net.
• Lot 50023: CHINA–EMPIRE. Imperial Bank of China. 50 Dollars, 1898. P-A54r. Remainder. PMG Choice About Uncirculated 58.
• Lot 50149: CHINA–PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC. Beijing Banknote Printing Co. 10 Yuan, ND. P-Unlisted. Test Note. PMG Choice Uncirculated 63.
• Lot 50331: INDIA. Government of India. 2 Rupees, 8 Annas, ND (1917). P-2. PMG Choice Uncirculated 64.
• Lot 50423: ZANZIBAR. Zanzibar Government. 1 Rupee, 1920. P-1. PMG Fine 12.
These highlights represent just a tiny portion of the vast selection offered in Stack’s, Bowers and Ponterio’s monumental 10th Anniversary Sale! To view all lots and register to bid online, visit StacksBowers.com.
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s 80-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, The Guia Collection, The Thos. H. Law Collection, and The Robert O. Ebert Collection.
Topping off this amazing numismatic history is the inclusion of the world record for the highest price ever realized at auction for a rare coin, the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar graded Specimen-66 (PCGS) that realized over $10 million, part of their sale of the famed Cardinal Collection. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California, with offices in New York, Wolfeboro, Hong Kong, and Paris. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is an Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic conventions, including American Numismatic Association events, the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, and its April and August Hong Kong Auctions.
