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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Loong Siew, post: 8325503, member: 75799&quot;]The crown jewel of my Chinese Numismatic Collection!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1475256[/ATTACH] </p><p>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. </p><p><br /></p><p>Obverse: Xianfeng Tongbao 咸豐通寶</p><p>Reverse: Da Qing Zhen Ku. (Vault protector of the Great Qing Dynasty).。大清鎮庫</p><p><br /></p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>The vault protector coins are non-circulating coins issued by official mints as a form of charm to&nbsp; 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. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1475257[/ATTACH] </p><p>[ATTACH=full]1475259[/ATTACH] </p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1475260[/ATTACH] </p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><p>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 &quot;Convention of the Extension of Hong Kong Territory&quot; 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.</p><p><br /></p><p>#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[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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