54th Hong Kong Coin Auction of Far Eastern and World coins and banknotes will be held on 4 April, in the Crystal Room of the Holiday Inn Golden Mile, Kowloon. A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd and auction partner Ma Tak Wo Numismatic Co. Ltd will be offering 1066 lot sale contains the usual fine array of items including a plethora of Chinese coins, medals, sycees and banknotes. The auction will be held in conjunction with the bi-annual Hong Kong International Coin Convention and Antique Watch Fair of over 120 exhibitors from more than 20 countries.
In the sale lot 438, a Chekiang Province Silver Pattern 20-Cents, Year 23 (1897) is being offered with a promising estimate of US$60,000 – 80,000 and, lot 474, an extremely rare Honan Province Brass Pattern 10-Cash (c.1904), struck from dies engraved by Charles Barber and one of only eight know to Baldwin’s cataloguer, is estimated at a fantastic US$8,000 – 10,000. Rounding off the highlights is lot 628, a beautiful example of a Sun Yat-Sen Silver Dollar ND (1928), estimated to sell for US$30,000 – 40,000. This item sold for $125,000.
+issued+by+Emperor+Hong+Wu+made+of+mulberry+paper.jpg "Ming Dynasty 1-Kuan (1366-1644) issued by Emperor Hong Wu made of mulberry paper")
The sale opens with a fantastic example of the 14th century Ming Dynasty 1-Kuan banknote. Issued by the Chinese Emperor around 1368AD, the 1-Kuan notes are arguably the oldest pieces of world paper money, printed on grey mulberry bark which was reportedly recycled from the waste of government ministries and Civil Service examination papers. A similar example was sold by the Baldwin – Ma Tak Wo partnership for a record breaking US$19,000 (hammer) in the Hong Kong Coin Auction 47 in 2009. The note offered here (lot 1) is a beautiful example of this historic Chinese currency and is estimated at US$8,000 – 12,000. This item sold for $11,000.
Also in the banknote section of the auction lot 165, a Sinkiang Frontier Treasury 400-cash note, carries a weighty estimate of US$20,000 – 25,000. This striking and beautiful item is one of the rarest and finest examples.
Lot 416, a Qing Dynasty gold rectangular Sycee Ingot, was salvaged from the now famous Geldermalsen shipwreck. Built in 1742 for the Zeeland Chamber of the VOC with a tonnage equivalent to 1,155 metric tonnes, the Geldermalsen was one of the largest Dutch Eastindiamen. The cast gold 365g 10-Taels bar in a winged rectangular shape carries a superb provenance having been sold originally through the Christie’s Amsterdam Nanking Cargo Auction, 28 April – 2 May 1986 (lot 1859). At the time of the auction the wreck was unidentified and so, the name ‘Nanking’ was applied to the auction by Christie’s. Stamped with the Chines character for ‘Treasure’ and sold in the original auctioneers’ oak box numbered ‘102’ this historically fascinating piece carries an impressive estimate of US$30,000 – 40,000. This item sold for $34,000.
