3rd Edition
The first and second editions of Top Chinese Coins (《中國近代機製幣精品鑒賞》) were published and released in 2010 and 2011 respectively, and were hailed as "important books showing the appreciation of rare Chinese modern vintage coins " and have been sold out for a long time. Ten years later, the project of the third edition of Top Chinese Coins, which has been highly anticipated by the numismatic community, especially by numismatic amateurs, was officially launched in July 2020, and has gone through the preliminary work of building the commission, questionnaire survey, organizing the selection, getting the results, as well as the editorial process of writing, designing, and layout. On December 27, 2021, the book went to press, and on New Year's Day, 2022, the finished book was sent out to collectors and other buyers in mainland China. (Images 1 and 2) Before that, 500 copies of the trial edition were presented to experts and collectors in Shanghai, Macau, and Beijing in order to solicit opinions, and awards were presented to collectors of the top Chinese vintage coins selected for inclusion in the book. The live broadcast of the first release ceremony in Beijing was a sensation, with nearly 20,000 viewers. (Images 3 and 4) On January 8, 2022, the editor-in-chief, Michael Chou, President of Champion Auction and editor-in-chief of the Journal of East Asian Numismatics, was presented at the annual meeting of the Chinese Numismatic Society in Taiwan and announced the release of the third edition of the book. He also signed copies for buyers (NT$2,600). (Image 5) At the 2022 World Money Fair in Berlin, which will be held online in early February, Michael Chou will announce the release of the third edition of the new book overseas via video; on February 17, Ron Guth, the other editor-in-chief of the book, will announce the release of the third edition of the new book at the Long Beach Expo, U.S.A., and will sign books on site.
Published and distributed by iAsure and the Journal of East Asian Numismatics, the third edition of Top Chinese Coins is the fruit of the efforts of the editors Michael Chou, Ron Guth, and Bruce Smith, as well as the collective wisdom of all members of the Editorial Committee and the Advisory Committee. The compilation and release of this book have the following characteristics.
First, the content is wide-ranging and informative
In Numismatics, modern China refers to the period from 1840 to 1949, or from the 20th year of Dao Guang reign [道光] in the Qing dynasty, through five generations of emperors, Dao Guang, Xian Feng [咸豐], Tong Zhi [同治], Guang Xu [光緒] and Xuan Tong [宣統], the Republic of China, to the founding of the People's Republic of China, which is about 110 years in total. Although the time span is not long, it is an important turning point in the history of the Chinese currency from casting coins to machine-struck coins. The third edition of the book includes exquisite Chinese coins manufactured by modern machine-making techniques during this period, counting 60 major types of 154 varieties, with 270 pieces in total, displaying 529 high-definition pictures. The pictures are followed by the corresponding historical prices and auction records; there is also an introduction of their pedigree, circulation situation, rarity, and existing examples. There is also an analysis of the trend of collecting vintage Chinese coins, profiles of famous foreign Chinese coin collectors, famous foreign coin collectors, top coin museums in the world and in China, and the most expensive coins in the world . Not only is there a large amount of information, but also rarely seen first-hand documents are disclosed for the first time, so it is very informative and of great historical value.
The 270 examples covered in this book are rare and of numerous varieties, with very few existing examples and high prices. In particular, the selected top ten coins are as rare as morning stars, and they are so valuable that few bidders have the money necessary to buy them. Their owners are all proud to own them. The top ten coins include the 1903 Fengtien Tael, 1898 Heaton Hunan Dollar, 1900 Peking Series, 1911 Empire Silver Series, 1896 Szechuan Kaishu Series, 1910 Yunnan Spring Dollar, Guangdong Longevity Tael, 1897 Otto Beh pattern coins, 1889 Kwangtung Reversed Patterns, and 1906- 1907 Empire Gold Dollar. The 270 examples cover 19 gold coins, 233 silver coins, and 18 copper or brass coins, and the percentage ratio of these metals is 7:86:7. Among the 19 gold coins, there are 10 circulating coins, 7 patterns, and 2 medals. Among the 233 silver coins, there are 96 circulating coins, 128 patterns (101 in silver, 2 in gold, 13 in copper or brass, 5 in zinc, 4 in lead, and 3 in nickel) and 9 medals. Among the 18 copper coins, there are 8 circulating coins and 10 patterns (including 8 in brass, and 2 in copper). There are 145 patterns of various types, accounting for 54% of the total 270 examples.
The exquisite examples included in this book have been selected by experts and collectors and are highly recognized by the numismatic community. All these coins are from collections in public museums donated by Chinese coin collectors or collectors in China and abroad. The patterns and trial minted coins filed by Chinese state-owned mint enterprises are not included.
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Img.1 Regular hard cover edition |
Img.2 Outer hardcover edition |
Img.3-1 Michael Chou introduces the background of the third edition
at the first release ceremony in Macau
Img.3-2 Group photo of guests attending the first release ceremony in Macau
Second, the coins are illustrated in high definition photographs and beautifully printed
This book follows the design and layout style of the first and second editions. Most of the pictures in this book were taken by professional photographers who visited collectors all over the world, so the definition is extremely high and the nuances of the varieties are clearly visible, which makes it easy to compare and identify the authenticity. Specifications of the book: 265mm x 320mm, 300 pages. Two types of editions: a regular hardcover edition, and the first - produced outer hardcover edition, with copies of 2,500 and 500 respectively. It is a full-color hardcover edition, with spot color plus four-color printing, thus better showing the true appearance of the coins. The cover is even specially treated to facilitate better preservation.
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Img. 4 Beijing release. From left: Mateo Zhao,Xue Shiqing, |
Img. 5 Taipei release ceremony on Jan 8 |
Img.6 Gilt brass medal
Img.7 NGC PF70 silver medal with Yu Min hand-signed label
Third, the book and the medal are sold as a set
The book is practical and is worth collecting itself, and the medal in a NGC holder was designed for commemoration. The medal was designed by Yu Min, the former senior designer of the Shanghai Mint, and manufactured by Shanghai New Century Coin Manufacturing Co. On the obverse: the English book name is engraved at the top; the main motif is a bust of Eduard Kann and the building where the former Asian Numismatic Society was located in, with a silhouette of this famous building on the Bund in the background, as Shanghai was the center of numismatics at that time; the signature of Eduard Kann in English and his name in Chinese and the year of his birth and death "1880-1962". On the reverse side, the date and place of the first release are engraved at the upper end; the main motif is a silver Fengtien Tael, with a Wayte Raymond holder in the background, echoing the figure holding the coin booklet on the obverse side, indicating the theme of collecting and appreciation. The technical details include diameter: 40mm. Maunfacturing technique: The traditional minting technique of sandblasting and mirroring is mainly adopted, with the building having used a sandblasting effect, the architectural silhouette of the Bund in Shanghai using an intaglio mirroring effect and the figures a shot blasting process. The reverse of the medal also uses sandblasting and mirror effects. There are two types of medals: gilt brass medal (Image 6) and NGC PF70 silver medal with a Yu Min hand-signed label (Image 7). The total mintage is 1,000 pieces in brass and 100 pieces in silver respectively. The book and medal are sold in one set. There are six sets to chose from as follows (prices in RMB)
Set I
Third edition regular hardcover edition + gilt brass medal, signed commemorative card by Editor-in-chief Michael Chou.
Limited to 100 sets at RMB 600/set ( before December 31, 2021).
Set Ⅱ
Thirteen copies of the third edition regular hardcover edition + 13 gilt brass medals: limited to 10 sets at RMB 6,000/set.
Set Ⅲ
Third edition outer hardcover edition + gilt brass medal, signed commemorative card by Editor-in-chief Michael Chou.
Limited to 50 sets at RMB 800/set (before December 31, 2021).
Set Ⅳ
Third edition outer hardcover edition of 9 copies + 9 gilt brass medals: limited to 5 sets at 6,000 RMB/set.
Set Ⅴ
Third edition regular hardcover edition + NGC PF70 with Yu Min's hand-signed label silver medal, signed commemorative card by the editor-in-chief, Michael Chou: limited to 5 sets, 1,000 yuan per set ( before December 31, 2021).
Set of Ⅵ
Third edition outer hardcover edition + NGC PF70 with Yu Min hand-signed label silver commemorative medallion, signed commemorative card by Editor-in-chief Michael Chou: limited to 3 sets of 1,200 RMB/set ( before December 31, 2021)
The price of a book without a commemorative medal: RMB 400 for the regular hardcover edition and RMB 600 for the outer hardcover edition.
The book is currently on sale, with 500 outer hardcover copies almost sold out by Jan 1, 2022. Readers can get a glimpse of these rare, exquisite vintage coins with their pedigrees in the text and illustrations. Buyers will get a glimpse of their elegance and the advanced Western minting techniques introduced into China and appreciate the wise eye of the great collectors in recognizing treasures, and increase their understanding of China's history and numismatic history in modern times. This book is also an important reference book for novice collectors, well-known collectors who want to further their collections, auction houses to make valuations, and grading companies to evaluate the finest modern Chinese vintage coins.