Vault Protector of the Qing Dynasty!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Loong Siew, May 3, 2022.

  1. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    The crown jewel of my Chinese Numismatic Collection!

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    Qing Dynasty. China. Emperor Xianfeng. 1850-1861. Vault protector coin. 140mm. 1,050g. Extremely Rare. 3-5 known existent. Comparison with a British 50 pence coin for comparison.

    Obverse: Xianfeng Tongbao 咸豐通寶
    Reverse: Da Qing Zhen Ku. (Vault protector of the Great Qing Dynasty).。大清鎮庫

    Provenance: Ex James Stewart Lockhart. Chief Secretary of British Hong Kong; British Commissioner of Weihaiwei, China; Ex George Watsons College, Edinburgh; Ex Spinks of England.

    The vault protector coins are non-circulating coins issued by official mints as a form of charm to represent fortune, dispel bad luck or Fengshui purposes to the mint or official coffers. These coins were often hung and placed on specific locations of the mint as a form of ceremonial piece within certain imperial mints such as the Bureau of Works or Revenue in the Imperial Capital. The practice was known to stretch back at least 2 millenium where it was recorded a silver large Ban Liang was minted during the Qin Dynasty. The earliest known surviving specimen is the Da Tang Zhen Ku 大唐鎮庫 Vault protector coin cast during the Southern Tang Dynasty between 943-957 AD. Eversince, such coins were occasionally minted throughout successive Emperors including this posted specimen. 2 other types of Vault Protector coins were known to exist during the Xianfeng Emperors reign which are equally as rare but were slightly smaller than this type.

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    IMG-20220419-WA0012.jpg
    This extremely rare vault protector coin is one of 3 to 5 known to exist, 2 of which in China belonged to the Leizhou Museum in Guangzhou and the Palace Museum in Beijing. According to numismatic sources in China, these vault protector coins were smuggled out of the imperial mint by an eunuch after 1912 upon the dissolution of the Qing Dynasty. 3 of which were sold to British collectors which saw this specimen falling to the private ownership of James Stewart Lockhart. Whilst not listed in his publication of Chinese Copper Coins issued in 1915, this was expected given the coin was smuggled out of the imperial mints after 1912 which was close to or after his books publication date. He died in 1937 shortly after his return visit to China during the early 1930s during the Republic of China period. Given his passion for Chinese copper coins and his rank within the civil service near Beijing, he was able to obtain this extraordinarily rare piece close to the end of his service in China.

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    Lockhart distinguished himself in the civil service of the then British Hong Kong government becoming the Chief Secretary 1895-1902. Subsequently he was posted to British Weihaiwei 威海偉 as the first civil commissioner (Head of Government) of the leased territory to the British from 1902-1921. Despite his illustrious government career, he was a distinguished sinologist and numismatist of Chinese copper coins. After his death, his collection was donated to his alma mater George Watsons College before offered for auction to public collectors in the 1970s. For more than 4 decades this specimen remained in private ownership in England until re-emergence.

    Lockhart Road (洛克路), a major street in Hong Kong Island spanning the whole lenght of Wanchai today is named in his honor. He was also the British official who signed the "Convention of the Extension of Hong Kong Territory" 中英展拓香港界址专条 with the Qing Dynasty which leased the New Territories of Hong Kong for 99 years to the British expiring on 30 June 1997. It was this lease which marked the official and historical reunification date of Hong Kong to China in 1 July 1997.

    #China #Chinese #qingdynasty #coins #charm #coincollecting #rare #rarecoins #numismatics #antique #oldcoin #fengshui #hongkong #大清 #咸豐通寶 #清朝 #錢幣 #中国 #vintage #British
     
    TheRed, GinoLR, Alegandron and 17 others like this.
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  3. The Meat man

    The Meat man Supporter! Supporter

    Wow! That is impressive! Congratulations!
     
    Loong Siew likes this.
  4. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thank you very much..2 other specimens known are currently in 2 Chinese museums..
     
  5. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Impressive!
     
    Loong Siew likes this.
  6. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ...now that's what i call a grade A large COIN! :)
     
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  7. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Whoah!! :wideyed: At over a kg and 140mm, that definitely wins the heavyweight cast coin championship!!

    Plus a great piece of history with an amazing provenance. Super congrats!!!

    And I thought I had a big Xianfeng. Only 60mm. :blackeye:
    xianfeng.jpg
    H 22.917, Suzhou mint
     
    TheRed, Aleph, GinoLR and 6 others like this.
  8. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks..
     
  9. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Yeah..One of the largest I known.. These are non circulation coins and a few other types exist. However what I gathered was that this is the largest variant.
     
    ominus1 likes this.
  10. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks.. Your specimen is also awesome.. My second largest is also a Xianfeng 100 cash specimen from the Fujian mint.
     
    Severus Alexander likes this.
  11. Jaelus

    Jaelus The Hungarian Antiquarian Supporter

    This is really quite exceptional.

    Send it to NGC to get it slabbed and see what they come up with o_O

    Over over over oversize holder?
     
    Loong Siew likes this.
  12. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks.. I doubt NGC are the right parties to grade this.. I have not seen them graded any coins of such a size before also..closest I seen were some modern KG sized silvers..
     
  13. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Incredible find and super congrats! Well done @Loong Siew . Very nice.
     
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  14. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thanks a lot @Alegandron .. It is the top piece of my Chinese cash collection.. If only 3 exists, this could probably be the only specimen outside China and Museums there..
     
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  15. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Fantastic!
     
    Loong Siew likes this.
  16. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    Thank you my friend @Alegandron
     
    Alegandron likes this.
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