Tibet’s first gold coin has a very unique trait: it weighs 6.53g. While this legendary gold coin shares the same weight as the Chinese Kuping 1 Mace, it is not a common weight for Tibet. An absolute rarity, only six silver examples from the same dies have been found and, as of today, there are no known Tibetan gold coins struck to the same standard. For this reason, many believe it was struck for presentation purposes.

On August 23 this extremely rare gold coin, rated AU with an estimated price range US $30,000 – 60,000, will be one the Champion Auction 11 headliners at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Ballroom I, 18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

It is well known that during the 17-18 centuries, no coins were struck in Tibet, but Nepalese coins circulated widely in the urban areas. On several occasions, the Tibetan authorities, rather than strike silver coins of their own, sent bullion to Nepal and received Nepalese coins in exchange. The exchange was made on a weight for weight basis, but as the Nepalese coins were only between 50% and 67% fine, the Nepalese were able to make significant profit.

In about 1750AD, the situation changed when Prithvi Narayan, the king of Gorkha, started to besiege the Kathmandu Valley. He closed the pages, and stopped any trading between the Newar kingdoms of the Valley and the outside world, including Tibet. As a result, the supply of coins in Tibet stagnated, but the demand did not stop increasing. Seeking to stem a potential economic crisis, the Tibetan authorities, for the first time, started striking their own coins.

Chinese reports from the time claim that the Demo Regent issued the first Tibetan struck coins in 1763 or 1764, and again in 1785 AD when the Dailai Lama issued coins, before a more regular coinage began in 1791 AD. It had been widely held that all Tibetan coins from this period were silver, in varying degrees of fineness. However, we now have tangible proof of a rare gold coin struck from uncommon dies.

The diameter of the gold coin is measured at 28mm with the previously noted weight of 6.53g, A. Lissanevitsch Collection. The obverse legend, “Sri Mangalam”, means auspicious, lucky or fortunate in Sanskrit and may have a similar significance to the Eight Lucky Signs (Asta Mangalam in Sanskrit) which appear on so many later Tibetan coin. The legends were designed four compartments arranged in a cross. The reverse legend, “dGa-ldan phyod-las rnam-par rgyal-ba” is Sanskrit for completely victorious in all directions, designed with eight petals around a wheel. The dGa-ldan palace, located in the Drepung monastery near Lhasa, was the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama. The mention of “dGa-ldan” leads many to believe that this coin was struck by the 8th Dalai Lama around 1785. (more…)

Following six very successful auctions last season, Champion’s first sale for 2009 will be held April 1st at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers 3F Tang I , 20 Nathan Road, one block from the April Hong Kong Coin Show, being held at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile.

The lots in this sale can be viewed in the printed catalog and at Champion’s website: www.cghka.com.Both the catalog and the website listing appear in English and Chinese. Champion is the only auction house in the world to publish a fully bilingual catalog. Bidders may bid by phone or email or through a live auction website. http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/18453

Although paper money highlights this Champion sale, there are many rare and interesting coins in the sale. One of the most important coins is the 1884 Kirin Half Tael silver coin (Kann 917; Lin 505), with 1987 ANACS Certificate, in choice uncirculated condition, estimated at $10,000. This coin is from a set of experimental coins which were soon discontinued and melted.

A newly discovered variety of the 1901 Kiangnan Dragon Dollar, which has a dragon with 6 claws instead of 5, appears in the sale, estimated at $8,000. Another recently discovered coin in this sale is a Kwangtung pattern 1 cash, without center hole, probably made in 1890, NGC SP62, estimated at $1,000.

Another key coin in this auction is the 1867 Hong Kong-Shanghai Tael with rays (Kann 912), rated Proof 65 by NGC, expected to bring $70,000 to $100,000. Most of the important coins in this sale have been certified by NGC , including a 1904 Hupeh Tael (Kann 933) NGC MS63, estimate $6,000, and a 1907 Tientsin Mint silver dollar with wave design border (Kann 212), MS63, estimated at $4,000. A seldom seen 1936 silver pattern dollar, with Sun Yat Sen and ancient spade coin design (Kann 635), NGC MS62 is also offered here, NGC MS62, estimated at $6,000. (more…)

The hot coin market in China is producing record prices for rare Chinese coins and paper money. Champion Galleries Hong Kong Auction sale of 22 June 2008 offered a modest 352 lots of Asian coins and paper money, of which 317 lots sold for a total of US $1,894,539. Over 100 bidders filled the packed room at the Holiday Inn Golden Mile that Sunday, generating nearly a dozen world record prices. The strongest bidders in this sale were actually from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Chia.

The star of the sale was Lot 216, the 1867 Hong Kong and Shanghai Tael pattern (K911a), certified PCGS Proof-64, and the finest known example, which sold for US $195,500 – a world record price for a Hong Kong coin (all prices in this review include the buyer’s fee). This coin went to a phone buyer in Singapore. Lot 198, a Peiyang Tael of 1907 (K938a), estimated at $70,000, went for $120,750 (to buyer in Taiwan), topping the $97,500 price obtained for another example in Champion’s April 2008 sale. This too is a world record price for this coin. Lot 201, an undated (1897-1898) Hunan Dragon Half Dollar, which was unknown until 1975 and is not recorded in the Kann catalog, one of about 6 known pieces, brought $92,000. Lot 184 was a 1903 Hupoo Tael (K927), NGC certified Specimen-64, which sold to a Taiwan buyer for $80,500. Lot 205 was a stunning Kiangnan 50 cent dragon coin struck in 1897 (K67), certified NGC Proof-67 Cameo, undoubtedly the finest known example, which went to a buyer in Singapore for a world record price of $78,200. A set of 1936 Small Size Dollar and Half Dollar patterns, with sailing junk on the reverse (K634 & 635), went to a collector in China for $36,800 (a world record price) and $18,400 respectively. Lot 217, a regular issue Sun Yat Sen Dollar of 1912 (Y318; K600), NGC certified MS65 and estimated at $3,000, realized $14,950 – another world record price.

Among the gold coins in the sale, a 1906 Gold Tael Pattern (K1540), Lot 181, sold to a buyer in Hong Kong for $80,500. A pair of 1926 Shantung Gold $20 and $10 coins (K1535 & 1536) were obtained by a Singapore collector for $69,000 and $51,750, respectively, both world record prices. A Peoples Republic of China 1995-dated 5 ounce gold piece, honoring Hsu Pei-hung (Xu Beihong), said to be a 500 yuan coin, but unlisted in the Krause Standard Catalog of World Coins, with mintage of only 100 pieces, sold to a buyer in China for $43,700 on an $18,000 estimate; another world record . (more…)