Three NGC-certified Chinese Vintage Gold Coins Each Realize Over $300,000

A trio of vintage gold rarities, each bearing an iconic design with a dragon and a phoenix, were among 13 Chinese coins certified by Numismatic Guaranty Company® (NGC®) that recently realized prices over $100,000. The coins were offered in Stack's Bowers' April 2023 Hong Kong Auction - Rarities Night sale, which was held on April 17, 2023.

The top NGC-certified coin in the sale was a China 1926 Shantung Gold 20 Dollars graded NGC MS 66★ (lot 40110). It realized $504,000, doubling its pre-auction estimate of $150,000 to $250,000. The NGC Census includes just six NGC-certified examples of this very rare coin, which is renowned for its design showing a phoenix and a dragon together.

China 1926 Shantung Gold 20 Dollars graded NGC MS 66★. Realized: $504,000 Click images to enlarge.

Another example of this coin graded NGC MS 64 (lot 40111) also exceeded expectations in the sale. It realized $336,000, well above its pre-auction estimate of $100,000 to $200,000. Only a small number of these beautiful patterns are believed to have been struck for Shantung (Shandong) province, a coastal region ruled at the time by warlord Zhang Zongchang.

China 1926 Shantung Gold 20 Dollars graded NGC MS 64. Realized: $336,000 Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, a China 1926 Shantung Gold 10 Dollars graded NGC MS 64+★ (lot 40112) realized $432,000, crushing its pre-auction estimate of $60,000 to $100,000. Bearing the same phoenix and dragon design as the Gold 20 Dollars, this coin is also seldom-seen. Only five examples of this coin appear in the NGC Census.

China 1926 Shantung Gold 10 Dollars graded NGC MS 64+★. Realized: $432,000 Click images to enlarge.

Other NGC-certified highlights in the sale included:

• a China (1949) Kweichow Bamboo Dollar - Round Window graded NGC AU Details (lot 40105) that realized $204,000
• a China (1911) Silver Dollar - Period After Dollar graded NGC MS 67 (lot 40163) that realized $204,000
• a China 1898 Kiangnan Silver Dollar - Herringbone Edge graded NGC MS 63 (lot 40060) that realized $180,000
• a China (1928) Kweichow Auto Dollar graded NGC AU 55 (lot 40102) that realized $168,000
• a China 1990 20-ounce Gold 1,500 Yuan - Dragon and Phoenix graded NGC PF 69 Ultra Cameo (lot 40253) that realized $168,000
• a China 1916 Gold 10 Dollars - Hung Hsien graded NGC MS 62 PL (lot 40193) that realized $156,000
• a China 1904 Hupeh Tael - Small Characters graded NGC MS 63 (lot 40049) that realized $138,000
• a China 1904 Hupeh Tael graded NGC MS 63 (lot 40050) that realized $132,000
• a China (1898-99) Chekiang Silver Dollar graded NGC XF Details (lot 40016) that realized $114,000
• a China 1856 Shanghai Tael graded NGC AU 55 (lot 40109) that realized $114,000

Prices realized include buyer's premium. The $ symbol represents US Dollars.