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China: Hupeh. Kuang-hsü "Small Characters" Tael Year 30 (1904) UNC Details (Questionable Color) PCGS,...

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Price:   
Grade: Genuine
Quantity: 1
PCGS Coin #: (not specified)
Last Update: 5/21/2026
Dealer:  (Terms) Heritage Auctions (HA.com)
Hupeh. Kuang-hsü "Small Characters" Tael Year 30 (1904) UNC Details (Questionable Color) PCGS, Wuchang mint, KM-Y128.2, L&M-180, Kann-933, WS-0878. Small characters variety. A highly respectable representation of this always popular, instantly recognizable type, yielding an impression of quality despite the PCGS qualifier. Enveloped in a nacreous tone that enhances the largely original devices and fields, illumination reveals scintillating luster that carries admirably across the surfaces to elevate the already appreciable visual character. As part of a proposed coinage reform that aimed to return to the traditional Chinese Tael weight system, in contrast to the newer decimalized Dollar standard, this piece was struck to a heavier standard than many other dragon crowns of the period. With no unified agreement among provinces, and the decree to adopt the Tael issued just one month before Emperor Kuang-hsü's death, the reform ultimately faltered--leaving this issue as a powerful testament to a bold but short-lived monetary vision. From the Peh Family Collection HID07901242017 www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

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