Champion’s Winter Auction started on December 6, 2015. Eager buyers entered their bids from the floor, by mail, phone and online. Many famous collectors and collectors’ representatives were present including C.S. Wong, David Chau, C.M. Chang, Allan Chan, Wang Yang, Richard Guo, Charlie Chang, Newton Ng and Allen Chen as well as overseas bidders bidding via Liveauctioneers. The auction resulted in many strong prices.
Auction Catalog
This auction was pleased to offer Part IX of the Chinese Family Collection, which featured Chinese 50 cents coinage, including almost the complete set of all 50-cent Chinese struck coins ever issued. The sale of this highly anticipated Collection resulted in high prices. For example, Lot 077, a China-Chihli 1896 50-Cent coin sold for US$55,200 (Buyer’s Commission inclusive, hereinafter) to a Chinese floor buyer; Lot 078, a China[1]Chihli 1897 50-Cent slanted eye dragon type realized US$10,925 also to a Chinese floor buyer. Lot 087, China[1]Fengtien 1899 50 Cents with the date year 25th in Manchu mistakenly written as the 24th year, sold for US$8,260 to an American online buyer. Lot 098, a Hong Kong 1866 One Dollar sold for a very strong US$11,500 to an American floor buyer; and lot 119, a China-Kiangnan 1900 50 Cents graded VF-35 by NGC was won by a Chinese floor buyer at the final price of US$69,000. Lot 128, a China-Kwangtung ND (1889) 50 Cents Silver Pattern, 7.3 Candareens Reversed Pattern, sold for a hammer price of US$166,750; Lot 129, a China-Kwangtung ND (1889) 20 Cents Silver Pattern, 7.3 Candareens Reversed Pattern, sold for US$34,500. Lot 130, a China-Kwangtung ND (1889) 10 Cents Silver Pattern, 7.3 Candareens Reversed Pattern, sold for US$50,600, to the same American floor buyer of Lot 128 and Lot 129. Lot 131, a China-Kwangtung ND (1889) 5 Cents Silver Pattern, 7.2 Candareens Reversed Pattern, sold for US$25,300 to a Chinese floor buyer; Lot 140, a China-Manchurian 1907 50 Cents Silver, was won by a Chinese phone buyer at the price of US$6,900. Lot 151, a China-Shensi ND (1898) 50 Cents Silver Pattern realized US$138,000 was won by an American mail buyer. Lot 152, a China-Shensi ND (1898) 20 Cents Silver Pattern was sold to a floor buyer from Taipei for the price of US$120,750. Lot 198, a China Republic 1935 Sun Yat-Sen 50 Cents Copper Pattern realized US$50,600 by an American floor buyer.
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Apart from the Chinese Family Collection, another highlight of Chinese vintage coins was Lot 185, the finest known China-Republic 1912 Yuan ShiKai Large Beard One Dollar Silver Pattern. This coin attracted a lot of attention before the auction. After competitive bidding, it finally realized an astonishing US$345,000 by an American floor buyer and was the highest price for any Chinese vintage coin in this year at auction. Two major buyers, one from Taiwan and another from Hong Kong, arrived at the sale too late to bid on this lot.
Lot 185 Realized US$345,000
In addition, lot 186, a China-Republic 1912 Li Yuan Hung One Dollar (without hat), the scarcer error variety with “T I I E” instead of “T H E”, sold for US$8,625 to a Chinese phone buyer. Lot 187, a China-Republic 1914 Yuan Shi-Kai 50 Cents, was won by an American online buyer at the price of US$5,664, and lot 208, a China[1]Szechuan ND Empress Tzu Hsi 50 Cents Silver Fantasy was sold to a Chinese floor buyer at the price of US$5,060.
Ancient Chinese coins also drew interested bidders. The first two lots, which were both China-Qing Dynasty 1851-1861 Xian Feng Yuan Bao 1000 Cash coins were sold for US$1,840 and US$1,955 respectively to two Chinese floor buyers. From the J. C. Lee Collection, lot 029, a China-Kiangnan ND (1897) One Dollar with reeded edge, was won by a Chinese phone buyer at the price of US$5,750. Lot 030, a China-Kiangnan ND (1897) One Dollar with an ornamental edge, sold for US$4,140 to a Chinese floor buyer.
In World Coins, lot 315, a North Korea 2011 Celadon, sold for US$2,530 to a floor buyer; lot 316, a North Korea 2014 Celadon, was won by a floor buyer at the price of US$13,800, which set the highest price in the World Coin section.
Lot 422 Realized US$644,000
With regard to Chinese Modern Coins, lot 382, a China-Macau 2015 Macau Numismatic Society Platinum Commemorative Show Panda, started at a price of US$3,000. When the bidding was finally over it realized US$27,600 by a floor buyer. Lot 383, a China[1]Macau 2015 Macau Numismatic Society Silver Sample Commemorative Show Panda was won by a Chinese phone buyer at the price of US$5,750. Lot 422, a China 1992 2000 Yuan 1Kg Gold Proof Completion of Lunar Cycle, sold for an astonishing price of US$644,000 to a mail order. Finally, lot 505, a China 2012 Commemorative Panda issued for the Singapore International Coin Fair, sold for US$16,675; and lot 506, a China 2012 Commemorative Panda minted for the Philadelphia ANA Coin Convention sold for US$16,675; and lot 509, a China 2013 Commemorative Panda for minted for the Berlin World Money Fair sold for US$14,950. The above three commemorative panda coins were won by the same floor buyer