Asian Rarities at Heritage’s HKINF Auction

The three coins – an exceedingly rare People’s Republic gold Proof Scalloped “Year of the Ox” 2000 Yuan (1 Kilo) 1997 PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC, a People’s Republic gold Proof Scalloped “Year of the Pig” 2000 Yuan (1 Kilo) 1995 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC and a People’s Republic gold Proof Scalloped “Year of the Rat” 2000 Yuan (1 Kilo) 1996 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC are visually stunning, thanks to their dimpled octagonal perimeters, brilliant shimmering gold color and spectacular surface details.

“These are extraordinary coins, must-haves for any serious modern collector,” says Cris Bierrenbach, Executive Vice President of International Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. “Two of the three, the Year of the Pig 2000 yuan and the Year of the Rat 2000 yuan, carry the coveted serial number 1, and each of the three is from an original mintage of just 15. They’re exceedingly rare, all with very high grades, and each will become an immediate centerpiece in a new collection.”

Another gorgeous coin featuring an animal on its obverse is a People’s Republic gold Proof “Peacock” 1500 Yuan (20 oz) 1993 PR68 Ultra Cameo NGC, a crown jewel of not only the “Peacock” series, but also among the most coveted types from all of modern Chinese numismatics, thanks in large part to the stunning cameo contrast of the obverse between the two eponymous peacocks and heavy layers of mint frost against the reflective, low-lying fields. This is one of the very first struck from a very limited mintage, of which no examples from this lofty denomination have achieved technical perfection.

Lot 30197: Hong Kong: British Colony. Victoria 1/2 Dollar (50 Cents) 1867 MS63 PCGS, Hong Kong mint. Estimate: $100,000-$150,000.

Another undeniable rarity that will be in play at the auction is a British Colony. Victoria Half Dollar 1867 MS63 PCGS, a magnificent representative from one of the most elusive issues struck during Hong Kong’s fleeting three-year production period. Choice specimens of the largest denomination, the Dollar, generally garner the most interest, but finding a comparable Half Dollar issue also can be far more challenging – Heritage has offered just five in the last two decades, four of which have been circulated with conditional modifiers. The offered piece is distinctly different and in a class of its own. Of those currently certified with either grading service, the example offered in this auction stands alone at the peak of the censuses, and likely will remain there as it has for at least the last 20 years, when it was offered at Heritage Auctions as part of the Wayne Newton Palmer Collection in 2004.

From the Treasures from the W&L Collection comes a Historic Nanking Cargo Gold Trade Ingot. Certified MS63 by Gong Bo Grading, it is stamped on its face in three sections, the top and bottom stamps reading “Bao” (Precious) and the central stamp reading “Yuan Ji” (assayer name). The back is stamped in only two sections, each reading “Yuan.” It is a thrilling relic with desirability that stems from not only the era of the Qianlong Emperor, whose prolific reign is notable to historians and numismatists alike, but also its shipwreck association, originating from the famed Dutch East Indiaman cargo vessel “Geldermalsen” that wrecked in the South China Sea in 1752 carrying 147 gold bars and ingots. The offered piece is among the most finely preserved of these seldom-seen ingots.

The auction also features 11 lots from the Annam series, from what is modern-day Vietnam. Top choices from the collection include, but are not limited to:

• A Tu Duc silver “Virtue of Humanity” 9 Tien ND (1848-1883) MS62 PCGS – among the great rarities of the entire Annamese series, these Virtue types are always highly contested, especially when located in a larger denomination and with as much aesthetic character as the offered example. Only one other example of this scarce 9 Tien has come to market in the last decade, in the same condition but struck with slightly cruder dies.
• A Tu Duc Two-Piece gold Tien & 3 Tien Presentation Necklace ND (1848-1883) NGC – a stunning presentation necklace featuring two Annamese Tu Duc gold coins (one holed, one with loops affixed to the edge). The pedigree of this piece is strong, awarded (supposedly by Emperor Tu Duc himself) to French Admiral Henri Rieunier for his efforts in Annam. The small gold Tien, graded Choice Mint State, uses a “five planets” design only seen on Minh Mang pieces.
• A Minh Mang 5 Tien ND (1820-1841) MS63 NGC – a classic Annamese issue, offered much less frequently than many of the similar designs and denominations of the period. This storied type, featuring a whimsical version of a dragon flying among the clouds, has not sold at a major auction in a similarly high of a grade since this exact piece crossed the auction block in 2020. This example is tied for the “finest known” at NGC with just a single other Choice Mint State specimen.

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

• A People’s Republic gold Proof “Return of Taiwan” 2000 Yuan (1 Kilo) 1995 PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC
• A People’s Republic gold Proof “Year of the Monkey” 1000 Yuan (12 oz) 1992 PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC
• A People’s Republic gold Proof “Panda” 2000 Yuan (Kilo) 1997 PR67 Ultra Cameo NGC
• A Kweichow. Republic “Auto” Dollar Year 17 (1928) MS61 PCGS
• A Shantung. Republic gold Specimen Pattern “Dragon & Phoenix” 10 Dollars Year 15 (1926) SP64 PCGS
• A People’s Republic gold Proof “Year of the Dog” 1000 Yuan (12 oz) 1994 PR69 Ultra Cameo NGC

“The variety and quality that can be found throughout this auction are as good as it gets,” says Bierrenbach. “This magnificent event is full of beautiful coins that will bolster collections of all levels, and stands as a great capstone on what has been a sensational 2024 for World and Ancient coins at Heritage Auctions.”