The Stack’s Bowers Galleries April 2024 Hong Kong (SAR) Rarities Night Auction features an extraordinary 1864 Hong Kong Pattern Dollar pedigreed to Sir Hercules Robinson.
In the middle of the 18th century, before Imperial China possessed the equipment to produce its own modern silver coinage, the Mexican silver “Dollar” had become the preferred trade coinage throughout the country. Great Britain, having recently acquired the territory of Hong Kong, accordingly adopted the Dollar as the colony’s legal tender in 1863. That year, the Royal Mint in London began work on the design of a proprietary Dollar for use in the colony to supplant the circulating Mexican coinage. A wide array of patterns was produced in London prior to the inauguration of the Hong Kong branch mint in 1866, and it is from this output that the present specimen emanates.
This piece features the iconic “Gothic” bust of young Queen Victoria encircled by a ring containing the legends in large letters. The beautiful reverse portrays ornate concentric ornamentation around a simple central design giving the denomination and city name in Chinese characters. Gorgeously toned and quite brilliant, this pattern is immensely rare and unlisted in reference books. Underlining its great importance, this piece is pedigreed to the collection of Sir Hercules Robinson, the fifth governor of Hong Kong, whose tenure spanned 1859 to 1865.
For this and many other exceptional coins from Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, click here to browse the Rarities Night catalog for our Spring Hong Kong (SAR) Auction. The live auction for this session, featuring the pinnacle of Chinese numismatics, will begin on April 15 at 11:00 AM HKT (April 14 at 8:00 PM PST). You will not want to miss it.
We are always seeking coins, medals, and paper money for our auctions, and are currently accepting consignments for our August 2024 ANA Global Showcase auction as well as for our June and October 2024 Hong Kong auctions. If you would like to learn more about consigning, whether a singular item or an entire collection, please contact one of our consignment directors today and we will assist you in achieving the best possible return on your material.
