Costa Mesa, CA – Legendary auction house Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio continued their tradition of market-defining Hong Kong sales in April 2023 with yet another triumphant spring auction. Always a bellwether for the strength of the coin market in Asia, this sale certainly produced impressive results as the firm presented nearly 6,000 coin and medal lots, with a sell through rate of 95.6% and a total realization of $22.55 million (including the buyer’s premium). The total realization for the entire event, including four sessions of paper money was just shy of $25 million, marking Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio’s fifth consecutive Hong Kong sale with a total prices realized above $20 million. This monumental benchmark proves that when Chinese and related coinage crosses the auction block, it is Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio that attracts notable results.
Rarities Night offered the majority of superb prices, with the fabled “Revered Dragon” Dollar Pattern bringing $1,380,000, a Gold 20 Dollars Pattern from Shantung totaling $504,000, and two other Shantung Gold Patterns, a 10 Dollars and a 20 Dollars, realizing $432,000 and $336,000, respectively. Stunning results were not limited to Rarities Night, however, with another top result coming from the seemingly unique Paris Exposition “Flan Bruni” Four-Piece Proof Set, which sold for $504,000. Meanwhile, Russian rarities from the Sigma Collection, with a particular strong concentration of Pattern Ruble Novodels of Alexander I, performed exceedingly well. Annamese coinage from the Nguyen Dynasty Collection, as well as rare offerings from Korea, were also exceptional standouts.
Auction prices for currency were strong, with numerous lots outpacing their presale estimates. Highlights of the sale included lot 30001, a 2 Kuan issued during the Yuan Dynasty (1264-1341) graded PMG Choice Fine 15 Net, Restoration which realized $43,200. Also notable was lot 30330 a 7 Mace, 2 Candareens 1899 P-S2135 Provincial Banknote issued by the Hupeh Government, which was graded Very Fine 30 by PMG and brought $28,800. Continuing a trend of high prices realized for Communist Banknotes, lot 30366, a P-S3377a 1945 100 Yuan issued by the Bank of Central China graded Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ by PMG, realized $28,800. The World Currency Department was elated at the prices realized for their first Hong Kong sale of 2023 and look forward to their Fall Hong Kong event.
Other World Coin Highlights:
Lot 40060: CHINA. Kiangnan. 7 Mace 2 Candareens (Dollar), ND (1897). Nanking Mint. Kuang-hsu (Guangxu). NGC MS-63. Sold for $180,000.
Lot 40102: CHINA. Kweichow. Auto Dollar (7 Mace 2 Candareens), Year 17 (1928). NGC AU-55. Sold for $168,000.
Lot 40105: CHINA. Kweichow. “Bamboo” Dollar, Year 38 (1949). NGC AU Details–Cleaned. Sold for $204,000.
Lot 40163: CHINA. Dollar, Year 3 (1911). Tientsin Mint. Hsuan-t’ung (Xuantong [Puyi]). NGC MS-67. Sold for $204,000.
Lot 40190: CHINA. Dollar, ND (1914). Tientsin Mint. PCGS MS-66. Sold for $168,000.
Lot 40192: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, ND (1914). Tientsin Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-63. Sold for $240,000.
Lot 40204: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 12 (1923). Tientsin Mint. PCGS MS-64. Sold for $216,000.
Lot 40205: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 12 (1923). Tientsin Mint. PCGS MS-63+. Sold for $180,000.
Lot 40220: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 18 (1929). Hangchow Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-63. Sold for $240,000.
Lot 40221: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 18 (1929). Hangchow Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-64. Sold for $240,000.
Lot 40222: CHINA. Silver Dollar Pattern, Year 18 (1929). Hangchow Mint. PCGS SPECIMEN-64. Sold for $168,000.
Lot 40230: CHINA. Szechuan-Shensi Soviet. Dollar, 1934. Szechuan-Shensi Mint. PCGS MS-62. Sold for $204,000.
Lot 40253: CHINA. 1500 Yuan (20 Ounces), 1990. Dragon & Phoenix Series. NGC PROOF-69 Ultra Cameo. Sold for $168,000.
World Paper Money Highlights:
• Lot 30001: CHINA–EMPIRE. Yuan Dynasty. 2 Kuan, 1264-1341. P-Unlisted. S/M#C167-1. PMG Choice Fine 15 Net. Restoration, Stained. Sold for $43,200.
• Lot 30330: CHINA–PROVINCIAL BANKS. Hupeh Government. $1 = 7 Mace 2 Candareens, 1899. P-S2135. S/M#H175-20. PMG Very Fine 30. Sold for $28,800.
• Lot 30366: CHINA–COMMUNIST BANKS. Bank of Central China. 100 Yuan, 1945. P-S3377a. S/M#H180-42. PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ. Sold for $28,800.
Complete prices realized for the Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio April 2023 Spring Hong Kong Auction are available at StacksBowers.com. The firm is currently accepting consignments for their August 2023 Global Showcase Auction and their October 2023 Hong Kong Auction, as well as their ongoing series of Collectors Choice Online Auctions. For more information about consigning to an upcoming sale call 800-458-4646 or email [email protected].
About Stack’s Bowers Galleries
Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s nearly 90-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, and The Thos. H. Law Collection.
The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, with galleries in New York, Boston and Philadelphia. Offices are also located in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosts an annual Global Showcase in August featuring United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency in its Costa Mesa auction gallery. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money Shows.