Did you
know the Q. David Bowers Collection of Chinese Copper coinage is crossing the
block during our April 2018 Hong Kong Auction? Many of these items are being
offered for the first time in half a century! The collection will cross the block
Monday, April 2 beginning at 9:30AM Hong Kong Time. Click here to download a
free copy of the catalog to your tablet or mobile device.
To
learn more about the collection and Q. David Bowers, please enjoy his Welcome
to the Sale and his biography below.
Welcome
to the Sale
By Q.
David Bowers
Welcome to our sale of Chinese coins.
These have been off the market for years. In the instance of those acquired
with the Byron White collection many are now appearing for the first time in
half century! In his time Byron, a close friend, was among the leading
specialists in Chinese coins, not to overlook his study and research in other
areas, notably United States pattern coins. Byron was also interested in
history, classic automobiles, and other topics. On one of my visits to him he
was busy restoring a Bentley. In addition to his magnificent Chinese coins I
also acquired his numismatic library, which included many rare titles.
I hope you will enjoy our presentation and will find
some coins to be of special interest for your collection. I very much
appreciate your participation.
All good wishes,
Q.
David Bowers
Q.
David Bowers
Although Q. David Bowers is well-known to our clients
and most numismatists in America, there will be some others who receive this
catalogue of Chinese coins that might like to learn more. We give some biographical
details:
Dave has been in the rare coin business since he was a
teenager in 1953, including in later times as a founder of Stack’s Bowers
Galleries. He has been central in the showcasing at auction the greatest
collections ever sold, including those of T. Harrison Garrett (for the Johns
Hopkins University), Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb, Virgil M. Brand,
Louis E. Eliasberg, Harry W. Bass, Jr., The Cardinal Collection and D. Brent
Pogue — accomplishments unmatched in professional numismatics.
Along the way he, sometimes with other family members, has explored and
collected many specialties. A short list includes colonial coins, Hard Times
tokens, Civil War tokens, counterstamped large cents, obsolete and National
Bank notes, and, as here, early coins of China. The present offering
incorporates the magnificent collection of Chinese copper
coins formed by the late Byron White, a prominent figure in that specialty, as
well as many other additions that have been carefully studied and collected over
a long period of years.
Dave is a recipient of the Pennsylvania State
University College of Business Administration’s Alumni Achievement Award
(1976); he has served as president of the American Numismatic Association
(1983-1985) and president of the Professional Numismatists Guild (1977-1979);
he is a recipient of the highest honor bestowed by the ANA (the Farran Zerbe
Award); he was the first ANA member to be named Numismatist of the Year (1995);
and one of only a few living people enshrined the Numismatic Hall of Fame (at
ANA Headquarters in Colorado Springs).
Bowers is a recipient of the highest honor given by
the Professional Numismatists Guild and has received more “Book of the Year
Award” and “Best Columnist” honors given by the Numismatic Literary Guild than
has any other writer. In July 1999, in a poll published in COINage,
“Numismatists of the Century,” Dave was recognized as one of six living people
in this list of just 18 names.
He is the author of over 50 books, hundreds of auction
and other catalogues, and several thousand articles including columns in Coin
World (since 1961, the longest-running column in numismatic history) and
The Numismatist.
Dave is a trustee of the New Hampshire Historical
Society and a fellow of the American Antiquarian Society, the American
Numismatic Society, and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He has been a key
consultant for the Smithsonian Institution for decades, beginning with the
curatorship of Dr. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli, the Treasury Department, and the
U.S. Mint, and is research editor of A Guide Book of United States Coins. For
many years he was a guest lecturer at Harvard University. This is a short list
of his honors and accomplishments. In Wolfeboro, New Hampshire he is on the
Board of Selectmen and is the town historian.
Although he has never been farther west than Hawaii,
he enjoys the numismatic scene worldwide, with China, as with this sale, being
of special interest.
