Kweichow 1931 (year 20) 10 cents Y-429

photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

photo courtesy Stack's-Bowers LLC

Kweichow (Guizhou) Province lies in south central China. It is home to a group of non-Han Chinese people, and has traditionally been a seat of political unrest in China. One particularity of coin production was the lack of local copper. For this reason the Kweichow mint struck some coins in antimony (which was locally in abundance), and remains the only place in the world to do so. The Kweichow mint opened in 1730, producing cash coins.

The specimen shown was lot 60481 in Ponterio sale 162 (Hong Kong, August 2011), where it sold for $956. The catalog description^[1] noted, " CHINA. Kweichow. 10 Cents, Year 20 (1931). 民國二十年貴州省造當十銻幣。Struck in the antimony, the only Chinese coin produced in this metal. 中國唯一以銻質材料製造的錢幣。NGC VF-25. Ex: The Frank Robinson Collection."

Recorded mintage: unknown.

Specification: Antimony.

Catalog reference: Y-429; Hsu-1.

Source:

• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Kann, Eduard. Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Coins, Vol. 1 of 3. Bronx, NY: Ishi Press International, 2006.
• Lin Gwo Ming, Illustrated Catalogue of Chinese Gold & Silver Coins: Ching and Republican Issues, Seventh Edition, Hong Kong: Ma Tak Wo Numismatic Co., Ltd., 2012.
• ^[1]Ponterio, Richard, Ponterio sale 162: The August 2011 Hong Kong Auction, Irvine, CA: Stack's Bowers LLC, 2011.

Links to:

• 1949 (year 38) ½ cent Y-A429a
• 1949 (year 38) 20 cents Y-430
• 1928 (year 17) $1 Auto Y-428
• Kweichow (1949) dollar Y-433
• Coins and currency dated 1931
• return to China, Kweichow Province