By Jeremy Bostwick – Senior Numismatist & Cataloger, Stack’s Bowers ……
While the massive collection formed by the legendary Eduard Kann stands as a pinnacle of Chinese numismatics, other impressive collections were also formed by numismatists intrigued by their stays in China. One such collection was that of General Miles Stanley Newton of the United States Marine Corps.
Newton was a passionate collector throughout his life and sought a quality example of each type of United States coinage—a feat that he was nearly able to complete. His passion was not limited to U.S. coins, however, as his world travels with the Marines allowed for the formation of a more global collection.
While serving in China in the 1930s, Newton acquired numerous extraordinary dollar-sized issues direct from local sources. When the General’s collection of United States coins was auctioned in 1970, this selection of Chinese dollars was acquired en bloc by numismatic author and educator Ken Bressett, who curated them for another half-century before they were presented by Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio in 2012.
From this fantastic group comes a tremendous 1898 Dollar from the Chihli Arsenal that is featured in the Stack’s Bowers October 2020 Hong Kong Auction. It displays intense luster and is graded MS-65 by PCGS. It is the single-finest specimen in the PCGS census and tied with just three others for the highest designation at NGC. It will be a prize for the connoisseur of Chinese issues. The appeal is enhanced by a sharp strike and some subtle golden toning near the peripheries, as well as the desirability of this popular motif, the issue’s great rarity in this elite state of preservation, and, of course, the astounding pedigree.
Now, nearly a decade since the Chihli dollar’s last appearance with us, this impressive example will be among the numerous highlights of our October auction that comprises over 4,500 lots of coins, medals, and paper money. Be sure to view and study this great piece and the entirety of the sale, which will be online early next month.
To view our upcoming auction schedule and future offerings, please visit StacksBowers.com where you may register and participate in this and other forthcoming sales.
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We are always seeking coins, medals, and paper money for our sales, and are currently accepting submissions for our next CCO (Collectors Choice Online) auction, the consignment deadline for which is September 8. Following that, our next larger format auction will be our official auction of the 2021 N.Y.I.N.C. in January. If you would like to learn more about consigning, whether a singular item or an entire collection, please contact one of our consignment directors today and we will assist you in achieving the best possible return on your material.
