New Record Results at Heritage’s HKINF Auction?

What has long been quietly understood is now out in the open, undeniable public knowledge: the demand for rare Asian coins and paper money is soaring. Nowhere will that be more evident than at Heritage Auctions’ semi-annual Signature® event held in tandem with the Hong Kong International Numismatic Fair, in which collectors, investors and enthusiasts alike have a chance to acquire some of the best pieces the market has to offer.

The HKINF World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction July 7-9 includes a pair of important assemblages of rare offerings: the 44-lot Glorium collection and the Tony Ma Collection, which includes 62 lots.

“Heritage Auctions received an exceptionally positive welcome to our addition of a Platinum Session to the sale in December, so we are thrilled to make this a permanent feature to our Hong Kong events,” says Cristiano Bierrenbach, Heritage Auctions Executive Vice President of International Numismatics. “This event only solidifies Heritage Auctions’ position at the forefront of Asian numismatics collecting, and allows our bidders numerous opportunities to add prized pieces of history to their own collections.”

The Glorium Collection

Among the top lots in the Glorium collection is a Kuang-hsü Dollar ND (1908) MS67 PCGS, Tientsin mint, KM-Y14, L&M-11, Kann-216, Shih-B6-1, Chang-CH24, WS-0029, Wenchao-93 (rarity 1 star), Chang Foundation-Unl (estimate: $500,000-800,000). The example offered here is the undisputed finest known within the graded population; of nearly 5,800 seen, no other example exceeds MS65 at either NGC or PCGS. This coin is perhaps the best-known Dragon Dollar from Kuang-hs’s reign, produced for only a single year.

A Republic Sun Yat-sen silver Pattern 50 Cents Year 26 (1937)-S MS62 NGC (estimate: $100,000-150,000) is one of the rarest Sun Yat-sen minors of the mid-20th century Chinese series, rarely coming to market and often not in appreciable condition. The second-finest certified example of this rare “P’u” pattern half dollar is an ideal “sister” piece to the full Dollar Pattern offered at Heritage Auctions in December. The example offered here was similarly missing from the Ultima, Wright, Wa She Wong, Ching and Von Halle collections, and represents the second-finest yet recognized in the certified population, which includes only five other examples.

The finest and only straight-graded Mint State example of the Republic Chang Tso-lin silver Medallic 50 Cents ND (1927) MS63 PCGS (estimate: $60,000-80,000) is one of fewer than 10 to make it to auction in the last two decades; among those, most that were graded received details designations from NGC or PCGS. None of the others has come close to this magnificent example; NGC has awarded straight grades (AU50 and AU55) to just two others, and PCGS has not graded another example that did not merit details. This coin likely was produced in conjunction with Chang Tso-lin’s assumption of the position of Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy of the Pei Yang Military Government in Beijing on June 18, 1927 – making him Generalissimo and de facto supreme ruler of the country.

Other top lots in the Glorium collection include, but are not limited to:

• A Republic Sun Yat-sen “Upper Five-Pointed Stars/Dot Below Ear” Memento Dollar ND (1927) MS65 PCGS (estimate: $50,000-70,000)
• A Republic Yuan Shih-kai “Plumed Hat” Dollar ND (1914) MS65+ PCGS (estimate: $40,000-60,000)
• A Republic Sun Yat-sen “Lower Five-Pointed Stars” Dollar ND (1912) MS65 PCGS (estimate: $30,000-35,000)

The Tony Ma Collection

Among the top draws in the Tony Ma Collection is a Republic Tuan Chi-jui Dollar ND (1924) MS64 PCGS (estimate: $40,000-60,000), from the Tientsin mint, was produced in commemoration of Tuan Chi-jui’s taking office as the provisional Chief Executive of the Republic of China at the outset of the “Peaceful Unification” and the abolition of the presidency. This prized single-year type was struck by supporters of this controversial figure during an increasingly tumultuous time in Chinese history, and clearly is a trophy of the entire Republican Dollar series.

A Republic Yuan Shih-kai gold 10 Dollars Year 8 (1919) MS63 PCGS (estimate: $40,000-60,000), from the Tientsin mint, is fabled as one of China’s few proposed gold coins of the modern era, representing part of Finance Minister Tsao Yu-lin’s attempt to revive a gold standard in the nation. But the project ultimately failed, leading to the already small allotment of 10 and 20 Dollar-coins vanishing from circulation, with even those that survived oftentimes showing ample evidence of being poorly kept. This extraordinary example ranks among the finest examples of the type ever handled at Heritage Auctions.

Other top lots from the Tony Ma Collection include, but are not limited to:

• A Republic Tuan Chi-jui Dollar ND (1924) MS64 PCGS (estimate: $40,000-60,000)
• A Republic Li Yuan-hung Dollar ND (1912) MS64 PCGS (estimate: $30,000-40,000)
• A Hsüan-t’ung silver Pattern 1/2 Dollar (50 Cents) ND (1910) MS62 PCGS (estimate: $30,000-40,000)
• A Szechuan-Shensi Soviet. Soviet Controlled Provinces Dollar 1934 AU58 PCGS (estimate: $30,000-40,000)

All lots of the sale can be viewed in the online catalog.

For further information about the auction house, visit the Heritage Auctions website.