Kwangtung. Kuang-hsü Specimen Trial 20 Cents (1 Mace 4-3/5 Candareens) ND (1889) SP64 PCGS, Heaton mint, KM-Y196, L&M-125A, Kann-18, WS-0933, Wenchao-554 (rarity 3 stars). With denomination written as 1 MACE AND 4 3/5 CANDAREENS. Of the highest rarity 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 Kwangtung mint in 1889. Despite not being noted as such on the holder, Lin and Ma note that all mirror-like strikings are assumed to be trials struck by the Heaton mint. Though perhaps not struck to quite so low of numbers as originally supposed by Kann, who stated that only two trial sets of the denominations from the 5 Cents through the Dollar were produced by/for the southern mint (on this point his wording is ambiguous) before official production began, a total of 3 examples currently existing in the PCGS census, these special strikings with Proof fields are nonetheless extremely elusive, with perhaps only a handful of pieces of all 5 denominations known to exist. Never intended for circulation, the present piece clearly preserves its original mint brilliance--icy white, watery texture on the obverse perfectly complemented by thick die polish lines, while the reverse contains notable hints of opalescence. Only the third example we have offered and the third to come to market in the past several decades.

HID09801242017

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