Hong Kong 1866 1/2 dollar

Ponterio sale 164, lot 2577

photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

This specimen was lot 2577 in Ponterio sale 164 (New York, January 2012), where it sold for $2,012.50. The catalog description^[1] noted, "HONG KONG. 1/2 Dollar, 1866. Light toning, ALMOST UNCIRCULATED. PCGS Genuine--Cleaned." The British set up a mint in Hong Kong in 1866 which struck mils through dollars. It does not seem to have been a success as the mint was closed in 1868. In 1872, Hong Kong began receiving coins from the Heaton mint and in 1873 from the Royal mint. The production of fifty cent pieces resumed in 1890 from London and Heaton. All Hong Kong half dollars are scarce.

Recorded mintage: 59,000 for 1866-67.

Specification: 13.58 g, 0.900 fine silver.

Catalog reference: KM-8; Mars-C33.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Illustrated Catalog of Hong Kong Currency, Hong Kong: Mars Numismatic Co., 2012.
• ^[1]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 164: The January 2012 N.Y.I.N.C. Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2011.

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• 1866 cent
• 1866 5 cents
• 1866 10 cents
• 1866 20 cents
• Hong Kong 1868 dollar
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