Kwangtung. Kuang-hsü Specimen Trial 10 Cents (7-3/10 Candareens) ND (1889) SP64 PCGS, Heaton mint, KM-Y195, L&M-126A, Kann-19, Sweeny-CN27s, WS-0934, cf. Wenchao-555 (for circulation strike; rarity 3 stars). Denomination written as 7 3/10 CANDAREENS. By Alan Wyon. A key rarity of the utmost significance within the early Kwangtung series, with no value given for the Proof strikings of the type in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, this Specimen striking stands as the earliest issue produced on the eve of the opening of the Kwangtung mint in 1889. Destined to serve as the barometer for provincial silver coinage for decades to come, these special issues with Proof fields were believed to have been struck as early as May 1888 by the Heatons in Birmingham as trials for the establishment of new dies for China's first machine-made coinage at what was then the largest mint in the world. Despite rejection of the original design and a requisite adjustment of the silver fineness, these coins nonetheless left an indelible mark on Chinese monetary history. Though not minted in quite so low of numbers as originally supposed by Kann, who stated only two trial sets of the denominations from the 5 Cents through the Dollar were produced by/for the southern mint at Canton (on this point his wording is ambiguous), contemporary documentation records that the Heatons gave Chinese Ambassador Liu 10 Dollar coins, 5 Half Dollars, 5 Twenty Cents, and 5 Ten Cents. Indeed, a perusal of auction records from the last 20 years reveals just 2 other examples coming to market, a SP67 in our December 2017 HKINF Auction #3058 (lot 37078), and another SP64 as part of a complete Specimen set in the Wa She Wong Collection, with the 3rd edition of Top Chinese Coins not noting any other sales results in this finish. From the Glorium Collection

HID09801242017

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