This week our preview for the Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio April Hong
Kong Showcase Auction is a very interesting Ration Dollar from Formosa (Modern
day Taiwan). The Taiwan Treasury supplied the
silver to produce this issue in order to pay for military rations and soldiers.
These were issued during several months of uprising in 1853. Struck in the city
of Taiwan, once the uprising was put to an end, minting of this coinage ceased.
The obverse design features two crossed Lotus flowers,
which lend the type its colloquial name: “Lotus Dollar.” Two Chinese characters
at the right side of the Lotus flowers denote: “Pure Pattern,” while at the
left side two characters mean: “For General Circulation.” The reverse depicts a
vase containing a plant. The Chinese characters that surround the vase
translate to “Prefectural Treasury” and “Military Rations.” This type is
normally found with a multitude of chopmarks, which can be found on the obverse
and reverse of this example, though less so on the obverse. A decorative Greek
border surrounds both designs. Despite the chopmarks, this example hosts some
lovely golden toning hidden with the recesses, which is slightly more vibrant
on the reverse.
While we are no longer accepting consignments for our April Hong Kong
Showcase Auction, we are accepting consignments of Chinese and other Asian
coins and currency for our August 2017 Hong Kong Showcase Auction. In addition
to this, we are taking consignments of world and ancient coins as well as world
paper money for our May 2017 Collector’s Choice Online Auction and August 2017
ANA Auction. Time is running short, so if you are interested in consigning your
coins and paper currency (whether a whole collection or a single rarity) be
sure to contact one of our consignment directors.
