DALLAS, TX.- Pair one of the rarest and most celebrated pattern coins from the final years of Imperial China’s Qing Dynasty with a spot in one of the most significant collections of Asian coins ever assembled, and the result is a numismatic trophy like the Hsüan-t’ung silver Specimen Pattern “Short-Whiskered Dragon” Dollar Year 3 (1911) SP64+ PCGS that will jump into the spotlight at Heritage’s June 17-19 HKINF World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction.

“The ‘Short-Whiskered Dragon’ dollar stands atop Chinese numismatics as one of the most important issues of the late Qing dynasty,” says Kyle Johnson, Heritage’s Managing Director of World & Ancient Coins, “and it is no surprise to find such an elusive specimen in the Peh Family’s holdings. A true treat to handle and sure to be among this year’s top auction lots, it reaffirms this collection’s depth and quality.

The nearly 400 lots from The Peh Family Collection in this auction represent the fifth installment offered at Heritage — the world’s leading auctioneer of coins and currency; Part IV was part of Heritage’s NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction in January.

The mystique surrounding the Short-Whiskered Dragon is extensive. Part of the well-recognized 1911 Ta Ching dollar patterns from the Central Mint in Tientsin, this type was produced as the imperial government worked toward a unified national coinage. Under the direction of chief engraver Luigi Giorgi, a series of experimental dollar designs was created, each featuring a similar obverse (reverse as holdered) paired with varying dragon motifs on the reverse (obverse as holdered). These patterns represent the final phase of Qing Dynasty coinage, struck on the eve of the dynasty’s collapse. Among these, the “Short-Whiskered” variety stands out. Early numismatic research recorded only a handful of examples, and even today, the total number of confirmed specimens remains exceptionally small. Only three of the eight documented survivors are privately owned, the example in this auction being the first on public offer since its appearance in the Chang Foundation Collection, and the only example certified across PCGS and NGC.

The Chihli. Kuang-hsü Tael Year 33 (1907) MS62 PCGS is an icon of provincial coinage and for the entire Chinese series, in which the sight of any Tael issue generates immediate excitement. Specimens of this manufacture and type remain among the most elusive Crowns of China; this example marks just the third specimen handled at Heritage in as many decades. It is the rarest emission of the Chihli series — a relic of China’s numerous attempts at monetary reform throughout the late Qing dynasty — and only the second type struck by newly reestablished Tientsin mint after its destruction during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.

Also from The Peh Family Collection comes a Victoria gold Proof Restrike Trade Dollar 1901-C PR63 NGC, a triumphant appearance for Trade Dollar collectors. Only a handful of gold Trade Dollars across all years are known, and those that exist rarely appear on the open market. The coin offered in this auction is one of only two examples certified, and it seems unlikely that others exist.

As prolific as The Peh Family Collection is, it is just one of the collections represented in the auction, which also includes The Mahal Collection of Spanish and U.S. Philippines Coins, Part XIII — a 61-lot trove that counts among its highlights a USA Administration Proof Peso 1908 PR68 PCGS from a Proof mintage of just 500 that is a nearly unmatched representative from among the most collectible series in Filipino numismatics, where Proof Pesos generate considerable collector interest, especially when entering the “trophy” territory. Examples of this popular date come to market somewhat regularly, but those at a superior Gem designation remain largely elusive. None of the five PR68s, all tied for finest between both services, have sold publicly in the last two decades, making this an important opportunity for the trophy hunters and type collectors.

Not all of the auction’s highlights hail from a collection. For example, a British Colony. Victoria Proof Pattern Tael 1867 PR64 PCGS is an extraordinary relic from the fleeting Hong Kong mint. Struck as part of a series of Patterns by the Hong Kong mint in an attempt to solicit business from the Chinese Central Government, examples of any Tael Patterns are among the most coveted in all of southeast Asian numismatics. This rarity has reached the collecting market just twice in the last two decades. The example offered in this auction is the finest of just three currently certified and is seen at auction far less frequently than the iconic dragon type, with only one other auction appearance since the original Goodman sale with this specimen.

Standard examples of both silver and gold “Plumed Hat” issues are prized within the collecting community, with varieties from this coveted series rarely reaching the open market. The Republic Yuan Shih-kai gold Proof Pattern “Plumed Hat” Dollar ND (1916) PR61 Cameo NGC offered in this auction is one of just two examples from this particular die in silver to make a market appearance in as many decades, and this is the only specimen in gold. With only three market appearances of other varietals in gold based on a brief auction survey, this offering remains of extreme importance, especially as the Sun plate coin.

An Anhwei. Kuang-hsü 50 Cents Year 24 (1898) MS66 PCGS is among a small handful of truly exceptional Anhwei provincial issues — an impressive feat for such a challenging region, especially at the Gem level. Offered in this auction is a survivor of a denomination that almost always is witnessed impaired and/or well circulated, with Mint State specimens witnessed at market once every year or two. This specimen is tied with just one other example for the finest known.

An Anhwei. Kuang-hsü Dollar Year 24 (1898) MS66 NGC is an exceptional dragon Dollar from a notoriously difficult province from which to collect. Examples can be located up through Choice certifications, but those carrying finer grades prove elusive to even the most advanced collectors. The mint in Anking closed after being active for little more than one year, with the new mint opening about three years later, when it produced only copper coins, so any emission of Anhwei, particularly those at Gem and higher quality, is thus fiercely contested, making this an intriguing offering for serious collectors.