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Auction: 25007 - … British and World Coins and Medals featuring The Oriole Collection of Gold and Silver English Coins
Lot: 485

(x) Tibet, Xian Feng, dubious issue of Half-Sho, 3rd Year (1853), 1.79g (YZM 243-247; KM -; L&M-), very fine and very rare

Provenance

The Thousand Peaks Collection

AVA Auctions, Auction 10, 22 June 2025, lot 452

Nicholas Rhodes Collection, Spink, 13020, 21 August 2013, lot 493

Wesley Halpert Collection, Spink, New York, 11 December 2000, lot 111

The Money Company, Public Auction, Hong Kong, September 1986, lot 895.


This coin was bought by the American collector Gilbert Richardson who sold it to Wesley Halpert.

This coin was discussed by Nicholas Rhodes in the following publication: Rhodes, Nicholas: "Some Sino-Tibetan Forgeries". Numismatics International Bulletin, vol. 20, no. 11, 1975, p. 254-257. Although Nicholas Rhodes is inclined to consider the Half-Sho coins of Xian Feng, 3rd year, of Dao Guang, 1st year (lots 490, 491) and of Jia Qing, 8th year (lot 489) as forgeries, he mentions the following "theory" in his article: "Another possible theory is that these pieces were made in China for presentation to the Emperor, as examples of the coins that were being issued (in theory, but not in practice) in various parts of the Empire. A number of fine brass cash of this nature are known, but if this were the case, surely these silver pieces for Tibet would have been recorded in Chinese sources, along with the similar brass cash? Indeed a number of silver Sino-Tibetan coins, reputedly presented to the Emperor, were in the Peking Old Palace Museum, but none of the coins described above were there."



Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Estimate
£300 to £400

Starting price
£200