This week’s preview for the Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio August Hong Kong
Showcase Auction contains a very rare pattern Half Dollar featuring the distinctive and ever
popular Sun Yat-sen portrait and Junk boat design. This pattern coin was minted
in San Francisco in 1936 at the request of the Chinese government. At that time
the U.S. government held approximately three million fine ounces of silver that
belonged to the Chinese government. These coins were to be smaller in size than
the previous Sun Yat-sen coinage issues. The U.S. government coerced the
Chinese government to continue striking silver coinage, despite the Chinese
currency reforms enacted just a year earlier. One of the points of the reforms
was to establish currency whose convertibility was not tied to silver. The
reform also prohibited the circulation of silver Dollar coins within China. The
continued production of silver coins was to cease, except as token coins.
The main obverse design features the widely recognized bust of Dr. Sun
Yat-sen facing left created by A. Motti of Italy and furthered refined by John
Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint. The obverse legend states: “25th
Year of the Republic of China.” The reverse displays the iconic Junk boat
image, with two sails as it glides across the water to the right. Two Chinese
characters for “Half Dollar” appear on either side of boat. This excellent
example is subtly toned on the obverse, with deeper and more vibrant toning on
the reverse. This coin has been graded MS-63 by NGC, and is tied for finest
certified by either NGC or PCGS.
While we are no longer accepting consignments for our August 2018 Hong
Kong Showcase Auction, we are accepting consignments for the April 2019 Hong
Kong Showcase Auction. In addition, we are taking consignments of world and
ancient coins and world paper money for our October 2018 Collector’s Choice
Online Auction as well as the January 2019 New York International Auction. If
you are interested in consigning your coins and paper currency (whether a whole
collection or a single rarity) contact one of our consignment directors.
