Chinese in Bowker sale

Selections from the Howard Franklin Bowker East Asian Collection brought high prices at the Champion Auction Aug. 23 in Hong Kong.

Proceeds from the Bowker benefit auction will be used for the promotion of numismatics, including digitization and education projects. A portion will be donated to the National Numismatic Collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The finest known Chihli 1896 one dollar silver coin, Numismatic Guaranty Corporation MS-63 sold for $300,000 in a duel between a Taiwan and Hong Kong bidder, the firm said.

Another bidder battle focused on a China-Kweichow 1928 auto dollar. This was a three-way contest with two Taiwanese floor bidders and a Hong Kong bidder who joined later.

The fight was won by the Taiwan bidder for a record price of $115,000, Champion said.

A China-Anhui 1897 one dollar silvered brass pattern, the extremely rare Otto Beh dollar, was fought over by a Chongqing collector and a phone bidder (Anhui). It was acquired by the Chongqing floor bidder at $170,000.

An NGC MS-65 1898 Fengtian 50 cents sold for $70,000.

A very rare China Republic 1929 Sun Yat-sen 20 cents silver pattern was bid by a phone bidder from northeast China against a Taiwan floor bidder and was acquired by the Taiwan bidder for $55,000.

A finest known Chihli 1899 50 cents silver coin sold for $50,000. A China-Fengtian 1898 one dollar silver coin went for $46,000.

Bringing $36,000 was a China Kirin 1884 half tael silver.

Most of the top coins of the Bowker collection were purchased by senior collectors who attended the auction in person, according to Champion.

Email championghka@gmail.com for more information.

More Collecting Resources

• The Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000 is your guide to images, prices and information on coinage of the 1900s.

• The 1800’s were a time of change for many, including in coin production. See how coin designs grew during the time period in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900 .