Republic silver Pattern "Dragon & Phoenix" Dollar Year 12 (1923) MS64 NGC, Tientsin mint, KM-Y336, L&M-81, Kann-680, WS-0114, Wenchao-885 (rarity 2 stars). Small characters variety. A short-lived, but no less famous, entry within the Republican Dollar series, this ultimately unadopted type is frequently misascribed as a commemorative for Pu Yi's wedding, following Kann. In fact, the dragon and phoenix emblem was created in response to the general opinion that Yuan Shih-kai had betrayed the Republic and attempted to reinstitute a monarchy, with Chinese nationals calling for a new design that discarded the more imperial portrait. Indeed, though it would not be permanently incorporated into Chinese numismatic canon for the Dollar denomination, the motifs seen here can only be considered a success in the long run, as can certainly be seen by their use on the minors of 1926. Struck with the utmost regard for clarity and sharpness that confirms its Pattern status, the coin seen here offers little ground for complaint, its surfaces lightly patinated in metallic blue, plumb, and orange hues as watery luster washes effortlessly over the surfaces.

HID09801242017

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