Our Stack’s Bowers Galleries August Hong Kong Showcase Auction will offer numismatic material that appeals to a wide swath of collectors, including significant vintage Chinese, Modern Chinese and highly desirable items from other areas of Asian numismatic collectibles. Today’s featured group was produced in Thailand, which has seen interest in its numismatics grow over the past years. The set we describe here was initiated by the Siamese government on November 11, 1908, when they elected a gold standard law in order to establish a new decimal system. Some of the new subsidiary coinage would be the denominations of Satang, 5 Satang and 10 Satang. Today’s pattern/presentation set, however, is struck in gold, and rare as such.
The coins all share a very similar design: a unalom symbol around a central hole. Some sources say this symbol represents the conch shell that houses the ashes of the father of King Rama I, which would be used as Rama I’s royal emblem for his entire reign. The symbol could also represent the tuft of hair between the eyebrows of Buddha. Flanking the central design are Thai legends that state: “State of Siam – Satang.” The symbols below the central hole are Thai numerals for 1, 5 or 10 stating the denomination (in Satangs). The reverse design features an eight-bladed Chakra with the date in Thai numerals in the center, just above the central hole. These pieces all display some light toning and offer exceptional eye appeal. Each piece is graded by NGC as follows: Satang (MS-65), 5 Satang (MS-63), and 10 Satang (MS-64). The Satang holds the distinction of finest certified, the 5 Satang is tied for second finest, and the 10 Satang is tied with two other examples for finest certified. These stellar grades reinforce the desirability of this beautiful Thai gold presentation set. It may be years before another set surfaces at auction!
Look for this and other Asian and world numismatic rarities in our upcoming August Hong Kong Showcase Auction and Sale. Preview this impressive set along with the rest of our auction this August at the Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio office located in Irvine, California. For details please refer to the Events Calendar link at www.StacksBowers.com. To schedule an appointment, please call 800.458.4646. While our Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio August Hong Kong Showcase Auction is closed for further consignments, we are currently taking consignments of Asian, world and ancient coins for our December Hong Kong Showcase Auction of Asian coins and currency, November Baltimore and New York International auctions. 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.
