The anticipation is building for the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio December Hong Kong Showcase Auction, now just a few days away. This week’s preview features a coin from French Cochin China, a major portion of the French colonial holdings in Southeast Asia. Along with Tonkin and Annam, French Cochin China would later be amalgamated into the greater territory of French Indo-China. Three Paris Mint chief engravers (all from the same family) collaboratively designed this iconic silver crown. It was first engraved by Albert Barre until his sudden death in 1878, and then finished by his brother Auguste Barre. The obverse design bears great similarity to the Great Seal of France as designed by their father Jean-Jacques Barre, with notable changes to reinforce its association with colonial affairs. The reasoning for basing the design on the Great Seal of France was to demonstrate French sovereignty over the region.
The obverse design features Liberty reclining facing left, with her head facing, adorned with a laurel crown with seven arches. She holds a fasces (seen as a symbol of collective power) and is resting atop a ship’s tiller. Behind the tiller appears a marine anchor, symbolizing the administration of Indo-China by the French ministry of the "Marine and Colonies." Rice stalks appear to the left of Liberty, replacing the symbol of western agriculture, wheat. In exergue, the engraver’s name (BARRE) and the date of 1879 appear. The reverse design features the denomination at the center of the design: "PIASTRE DE COMMERCE" surrounded by a wreath of laurel (glory) and oak (longevity) leaves. The mintmark of Paris ("A") appears below the central inscription flanked by two engraver’s marks. This bright example features a very sharp strike and the barest hint of toning on the reverse, with faint toning around the legend at one o’clock on the obverse and five o’clock on the reverse. This is the only example at this grade with only two pieces certified finer by either NGC or PCGS. Sharply struck with hard mirror surfaces, highly attractive with great eye appeal.
Look for this and other world numismatic rarities in our upcoming December Hong Kong Showcase Auction. For details please refer to the Events Calendar link at www.StacksBowers.com. Though our Stack’s Bowers December Hong Kong Showcase Auction is no longer open for further consignments, we are now accepting consignments of world and ancient coins for our August 2016 ANA Auction as well as Chinese and other Asian coins and currency for our April 2016 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
