Another coin that was included with my consignment of ancient coins was also sold today with CNG E-Auction 483. This coin has an amusing history. I purchased this coin from a Santa Barbara, CA dealer in the early 1970s. It was in a huge "junk box" with all coins priced at $1.00 each. At that time the coin wasn't worth much more than a buck but I found it interesting never the less. When I returned to Rochester, NY the coin came with me. I opened up a coin & antique store in Rochester in 1980 after doing factory work for a number of years. In my store I had a $1.00 "junk box" that many kids & collectors enjoyed browsing through, so that's where this coin ended up. The coin never sold & when I closed up my shop I put the coin in my desk & forgot about it. As time passed by the Chinese coin market exploded with activity & common coins became expensive, so I decided to add this coin to the auction. It's about the size & weight of a Roman denarius. It sold for $190.00 ! China, Zhonghua Minguo (Republic of China). General Issues. 1912-1949 (dated year 3, 1914). AR 10 Cents: 18 mm, 2.71 gm, 12 h. Central mint at Shanghai. Bust of General Yuan Shikai, 1st president of the Republic. L&M 66; Kahn 659, KM (Y) 326,
My father used to work for Kodak in Rochester. We lived in a suburb called Pittsford long ago. small world.
Great story Al. A "Fat Man" minor in a junk box would've gotten my attention! Back in the 1980s-1990s when I collected mostly world crowns, I used to pick up Chinese dollars - Fat Man, Junk, etc. for around $8-$10. They are very common. Even dragon dollars could be had for $20-30. If I had that to do over, I would have scooped up a lot more of them! Now and again when I need some cash for buying ancients, I sell one off on eBay for a hundred or two. The Chinese market did indeed explode. In 2016 my local dealer had this Fat Man Dollar for $34 - he sometimes prices stuff at 1992 levels:
That's an awesome cherrypick! Would've been such in any event, even before the Chinese numismatic market expanded.
