Auction Information

Description

In the 15th year of the Republic of China, Zhang Zuolin wore a military uniform resembling a commemorative silver coin for the Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy. The Tianjin Mint tried to mint it, but the factory also minted commemorative coins for the Grand Marshal of the 16th and 17th years of the Republic of China, both of which were not issued. Only prototype coins are seen in existence, with the 16th year being the rarest, followed by the 15th year. Currently, only about eight coins are seen; The sample coin is finely cast with a mirror like bottom, with deep and sharp molds and sharp inner teeth. The front and back of the coin have a strong sense of relief, with meticulous details and exquisite craftsmanship. It can be regarded as the pinnacle of modern Chinese portrait coins and is extremely precious, In the early period of the Republic of China, the political situation was chaotic, especially after Yuan Shikai's failure to declare himself emperor. None of his successors were able to control the situation and lead the Beiyang government and army, resulting in the division of various factions. Former rulers and agents such as Li Yuanhong, Feng Guozhang, Xu Shichang, Cao Kun, and Duan Qirui were replaced like a horse lantern. The last person in power, Zhang Zuolin, came from the Green Forest in his early years. After being recruited by General Shengjing, he successively served as the Governor and Governor of Fengtian, as well as the Inspector of the Three Eastern Provinces. He then controlled the three northeastern provinces and became the leader of the Fengtian clique. After the victory of the Second Zhifeng War in 1924, Zhang Zuolin settled in Beijing. In May of the following year, the Fengtian army expanded southward and captured Shanghai, reaching its peak in power. On June 18, 1927, Zhang Zuolin was appointed as the Grand Marshal of the Army and Navy of the Beiyang Military Government in Beijing, exercising the power of President and becoming the highest ruler of the country. However, on the occasion of its anniversary, it died in the "Huanggutun Incident". During this period, the Tianjin Mint produced or issued various commemorative medals in response to frequent changes in presidential candidates, and the exquisite craftsmanship was admirable. However, due to the short reigns of the rulers, the minting of these coins was mostly a flash in the pan. In addition, the original intention of minting was not for circulation, so the amount of minting is rare and has remained relatively small to this day. Among the above-mentioned commemorative coins, the Zhang Zuolin portrait series sample coins are the most rare. The portrait commemorative coin of Zhang Zuolin was designed and minted in three types of sample coins, including the 15th, 16th, and 17th years of the Republic of China. The patterns were not the same and were not issued. Fifteen years of frontal military attire, with a picture of Jiahe on the back; The portrait of the 16th year is the same as before, with a picture of the dragon and phoenix on the back; Seventeen year obverse portrait with five colored flag and eighteen star flag on the back. This series is the rarest in terms of sixteen year minting, with only three known surviving coins; At present, only about eight sample coins of fifteen years have been seen, usually appearing occasionally in large auctions, and their whereabouts are difficult to find in the market; Seventeen years of coinage, there are no more than twenty surviving coins. Due to the fact that the sample coins of the three years have always been the famous treasures of modern Chinese mechanism silver coins, in recent years, with the significant increase in the market of mechanism silver coins, their value has also doubled. The "Seventeen Year Marshal Sample Coin" created a staggering high price of 2.28 million US dollars (approximately 15 million RMB) at the SBP coin auction in Hong Kong in April 2021. This fifteen year sample coin, with fewer surviving quantities and excellent appearance, will undoubtedly become a shining star in the long river of Chinese mechanism silver coins and attract the attention of the public.