A variety of exquisite Chinese coins have recently crossed over from the slabs of other grading companies and into PCGS holders. All of these coins, now graded and fully guaranteed by PCGS, are numismatically important and beautiful pieces, and we adamantly wanted to share them. What follows is a rundown highlighting a few of these recent Chinese PCGS crossovers.
Pair of Kwangtung 1889 Coins
The first modern mint in China was in the Kwangtung province. It began production of silver coins in 1889 with the first issues having the Chinese character language on the dragon side. Later issues where the English is on the dragon side would replace this coinage. These first issues contained more silver then the contemporary circulating Spanish coinage that they were minted to replace. This discrepancy caused these coins to be removed from circulation and melted for their silver content. Today, these coins are extremely rare in all denominations.
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
A set of these coins surfaced in Europe from the Henderson Lincoln Collection. This set was sold by Heritage Auctions in their Hong Kong Sale. At the August Shanghai grading event, two of these coins from the Henderson Lincoln Collection were submitted as crossovers for PCGS grading and authentication. The first coin was the Kwangtung 1889 50 Cent or 3 mace and 6-1/2 Candareens, listed as L&M-124 and Y-124, submitted in a holder from an alternative grading service and certified as MS65+. It crossed to PCGS MS65. The second coin, the Kwangtung 1889 20 Cent or 1 Mace and 4-3/5 Candareens L&M-125 and Y-196, was submitted in a slab from another grading service as an MS64+ and was accepted by PCGS, which awarded the coin an MS64 grade.
“Cherrywood Collection” Coins
“The Cherrywood Collection” was sold through the online-based GreatCollections auction house in the United States. Since the sale, most of the coins have been crossed from alternative grading services to PCGS.
China (1907) 20 Cents L&M-22
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
Gem-quality Chinese coins are not only very scarce but also in high demand. A gem-quality China (1907) 20 Cents listed as L&M-22 Kann-214 was submitted for the PCGS crossover service line and was in an MS65 holder from another service. The coin easily crossed into a PCGS MS65 guaranteed holder.
China (1911) 10 Cash Pattern
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
The Central Mint of China, Tientsin, in 1910 and 1911 began experimenting with designs and denominations. Some of these exists only as patterns and others would become circulation issues.
The coin, a China Year 3 (1911) 10 Cash, is listed as CL-HB.96, Y-27 and CCC-637. The coin is a pattern piece and specimen strike. The coin submitted for crossover service to PCGS originally was certified SP63 Brown by another grading service, easily crossing over to PCGS at the same grade of SP63 Brown.
(1914) Specimen 10 Cent
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
The coin, a China Year 3 (1914) Yuan Shik-kai 10 cents, while common as a business strike, a specimen example is incredibly rare. Specimen strikes were made of some 1914 circulation issues coinage. These special strikes exhibit superior strike and reflective surfaces showing they were specially made, possibly an attempt at creating a proof. To date, PCGS has only certified three (1914) 10 cent specimen coins, this piece included.
This coin was submitted in a holder from another service and graded SP66, easily crossing over in a PCGS slab as an SP66.
China (1906) Tael
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
The Tientsin mint in 1906 minted a pattern set of coinage. Very few of these original coins were minted. At a later date the original dies were used to make restrikes of these coins for collectors. The coins which feature the CD date of 1906 only differ from the originals with some die rust now evident. While these restrikes were made for collectors very few were made and today are extremely rare.
A piece from the Zhu H.J. Collection was incorrectly attributed and graded as MS64. However, the submitter understanding this allowed PCGS to correctly attribute the piece as a restrike and accepted the grade SP62 to cross the coin into a PCGS holder.
1926 L&M-868 Dollar
Image courtesy of PCGS TrueView.
Chang Tso-lin was a general and powerful governor of China who marched on Peking. The Tientsin mint made 4 different commemorative pattern dollars featuring his portrait all dated Year 15 (1926). It is believed that these coins were actually struck in 1928, after his assassination by a bomb planted on the railway tracks by the Japanese army. Today, all of his coinage is extremely rare, heavily counterfeited, and very coveted by collectors.
At the August Shanghai vintage grading event, an example of one of these coins was submitted for authentication and grading. The coin Year 15 (1926) cataloged as L&M-868, Kann-685, and KM-Pn79, was once part of the Zhang X.Q. Collection. The coin was submitted for crossover in an MS63 holder from another service, the PCGS grading team authenticated the coin and graded it SP62. The submitter at the time of submission had allowed PCGS to cross the coin even at a lower grade.
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