$4.5 Million Spent in Hong Kong World Coin Auction
Heritage’s final numismatic signature auctions of 2020, held December 17-19 in Hong Kong, focused on Asian coins and currency, along with a small but significant offering of ancient coins. The auction of World and Ancient coins raised over $4.5 million, highlighted by an original strike Kuang-hsü silver Pattern Tael from 1906, graded MS64 by NGC which realized $288,000. Struck just six years after the reestablishment of the Tientsin mint, the series ultimately failed to be introduced into widespread circulation. Still, the design would eventually influence the standard layout of the Imperial issues adopted after 1908. This coin is likely amongst the finest, if not the finest, certified examples of the original pattern striking. A stunning set of patterns for the iconic “Opium” Taels of Yunnan, a set of essais that helped shape…