China was among the earliest civilizations to mint coins, with some specimens created more than two millennia ago.
China-Kweichow 1928 Auto Silver Dollar This coin was minted for a provincial governor, but there are lingering questions about where it was minted.
While some experts think it was made in Szechuan, others speculate that it was minted in Kweichow on “stolen machinery.”
A high-grade version sold for 70,000 British pounds sterling in 2018, which would have been about $93,000 based on that year’s exchange rates.
China-Chekiang 1902 20 Cents Silver Proof This coin was produced for China by the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, UK, and features a unique “drunken dragon” design.
One version sold at auction for $88,000 in 2018, but a rare silver dollar from the same series will likely fetch more than $1 million.
China-Heilungkiang ND 1896 50 Cents Brass Pattern This brass 50-cent coin was struck from dies made by Otto Beh, a German manufacturer who specialized in Chinese coins.