Hong Kong 1976 1000 dollars
This specimen was lot 1435 in Sincona sale 38 (Zürich, May 2017), where it sold for 900 CHF (about US$1,079 including buyer's fees). The catalog description[1] noted,
"HONGKONG, Elizabeth II. 1952-2007 1000 Dollar 1976. Year of the Dragon. Polierte Platte. FDC. (Hong Kong, Elizabeth II, 1952-2007, thousand dollars of 1976, for the Year of the Dragon. Choice Proof.)"
Hong Kong commenced a series of gold commemoratives featuring the animals of the Chinese zodiac. This one, the first in the series, honors the year of the Dragon. British coinage for Hong Kong ceased in 1997 when the island was returned to China. China itself has issued dozens of different NCLT's featuring the Chinese zodiac but this issue may be the first.
Recorded mintage: 20,000 plus 6,911 proofs.
Specification: 15.97 g, 0.917 fine gold, this specimen 15.98 g.
Catalog reference: KM 40. Fr-2.
- Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. and Ira S. Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World, From Ancient Times to the Present, 9th ed., Clifton, NJ: Coin and Currency Institute, 2017.
- [1]Jürg Richter, Auction 38, Gold Coins and Medals, Zürich: Sincona AG, 2017.
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