Hong Kong 1889 5 cents
This specimen was lot 4026 in Steve Album Auction 55 (Santa Rosa, CA, May 2026), where it sold for $144. The catalog description[1] noted, "HONG KONG: Victoria, 1841-1901, AR 5 cents, 1889, beautiful pastel toning, PCGS graded MS64." 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 five cent coins from the Heaton mint and in 1866 from the Royal mint. This type was minted steadily until the queen's death in 1901 tho it is scarce in nice condition, suggesting hard use. This bare bust appeared on the five, twenty and fifty cents and a "Gothic" bust of the queen was used on the cent and ten cents.
Recorded mintage: 5,169,000 plus proofs plus 2,100,000 from the Heaton mint.
Specification: 1.35 g, 0.800 fine silver, .035 troy oz ASW.
Catalog reference: KM-5.
- 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]Album, Stephen, Joseph Lang, Paul Montz, Michael Barry and Hanbing Feng, Auction 55, featuring Selections from the Swamperbob Gurney Collection of Cap & Ray 8 Reales, the Kenneth A. Bovenkamp Collection of Ottoman Coins and the 1914 Collection of World Coins, Santa Rosa, CA: Stephen Album Rare Coins, Inc., 2026.
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