This preview for the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio April 2018 Hong Kong
Showcase Auction features a gorgeous example of a rare pattern Silver Dollar
from the final period of the Chinese Empire and the Qing (Ch’ing) Dynasty. The
Central Mint in Tientsin minted a multitude of coinage types in the later
portion of the Empire, in an attempt to unify the currency system of China.
Unfortunately, China’s administrative disorganization (as well as a lack of
sufficient funds) inhibited the reforms from gaining traction. Certainly the
revolution overthrowing the monarchy later that year also prohibited widespread
use.
The design for this new coinage would share many elements
with preceding Imperial and provincial coinage but would have many simplified
elements. These were meant to impart the message of continued Imperial
authority throughout China, an important message as the reigning Emperor Hsuan
Tung was only six years old at the time. This new coinage would bear an
Imperial dragon (with five toes on each foot) much like its provincial
forbearers, but this dragon would dominate the entire face of the coin. The
dragon glares out from 12 o’clock, its body wrapping and twisting throughout
the periphery of the coin while in the center is the denomination of one Yuan
essentially encircled and protected by the symbol of the Emperor. The
inscription and legends also send a stripped down clear message of Qing
sovereignty.
The reverse design contains the Chinese and Manchu legends expressing all
of the necessary information for the piece. Between the outer crenulated border
and the inner pearled ring the Manchu and Chinese characters form the outer
legend. Four Manchu characters appear above, and four Chinese characters below
which state: “Hsuen Tung, 3rd Year” (1911), and these sets of
characters are separated by ornate floral sprays. The central Chinese
inscription states: “Ta Ch’ing Yin Pi” meaning: Great Ch’ing (Dynasty) Silver
Coin.
Once this initial design had been completed it was
refined several times before the design was finalized. The first modification
was a slight tweaking of the calligraphy in the legends and inscription along
with a redesign of some of the floral sprays flanking them. Next the dragon’s
whiskers were shortened so they no longer surround the denomination at center,
Kann also mentions seeing a transitional design in which the dragon bears
medium length whiskers but this was never struck in any significant quantity.
The final stages of design are more familiar to most collectors as the “Flying
Dragon” dollars that share the same composition as the earlier models but the
dragon has been refined with a smaller head, short wavy feelers and more
realistically rendered clouds about it. This final design was struck in great
quantity at the Tientsin and Wuchang mints, however the uprising of 1911 in the
latter city forced this new design to enter circulation without ceremony as
emergency military pay. Even after the establishment of the Republic of China
this dragon coinage was still struck as an appropriate design, as a new
Republic dollar could not be made quickly enough, and hence the dragon dollars
were struck until the introduction of the Yuan Shih-kai dollars in 1914. This
first variation of the "dragon in clouds" style features smaller more
robust characters and blunt floral leaves. This type is referred to as the
"ordinary obverse" as the characters resemble that of the later
adopted standard design 1911 Empire Dollar.
While we are no longer accepting consignments for our April Hong Kong
Showcase Auction, we are accepting consignments of Chinese and other Asian
coins and currency for our August 2018 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. In addition,
we are currently taking consignments of world and ancient coins as well as
world paper money for our May 2018 Collector’s Choice Online Auction and August
2018 ANA 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.
