(t) CHINA. Shanghai. Tael, Year 6 (1856). Hsien-feng (Xianfeng). NGC AU-58.
L&M-589; K-900 (type A); WS-1122; Wenchao-383 (rarity: ★★). Issued by Wang Yung Sheng and engraved by Wan Chaun. Obverse: "Cake (of) standard silver (from the) business firm (of) Wang Yung Sheng (in the) Shanghai district (in the) 6th year (of Emperor) Hsien Feng;" Reverse: "Made (by) Wan Chuan, silversmith; Supervised (by) Chow Yuen Yu. Exact weight one Tsaoping Tael." One of the finest examples of the type seen at NGC, this alluring specimen resides at the cusp of Mint State status, offering much in the way of abundant brilliance remaining, along with a sharp strike and enticing darker toning near the peripheries. Hyper-inflation caused by the Tai Ping Rebellion led to the hoarding of silver. At this time, foreign coins, namely Spanish 8 Reales, circulated in Shanghai at a considerable premium. In 1856, the Shanghai authorities authorized silversmiths to issue coinage in an attempt to replace these 8 Reales. The firms Wong Yung Sheng, Ching Cheng Chee, and Yu Shen Sheng were granted permission to issue coinage in the denominations of One Tael and 5 Mace. This was a short-lived coinage, as the monthly output was only about 3,000 pieces, and was not large enough to meet the demand. This aspect, along with the large number of forgeries entering circulation, doomed the project to a short period of only about six months. Extremely significant, since the Shanghai series represents the first Tael coinage produced in China.

咸豐六年商王永盛匠萬全造上海銀餅。
咸豐六年商王永盛匠萬全造上海銀餅。正面正文"咸豐六年上海縣號商王永盛足紋銀餅"，背文"朱源裕監傾曹平實重壹兩銀匠萬全造"。NGC中榮獲高評的其中之一，與原廠MS品相僅差一分，原光猶存，鑄打精銳，環形誘人深色包漿。 當時，太平天國運動引發的惡性通漲導致白銀囤積。這一時期，反而是西班牙8裏亞爾銀幣在上海流通，儼然是民間的穩定貨幣。1856年，上海當局授權銀匠鑄造錢幣以試圖取替西班牙8裏亞爾銀幣。王永盛、經正記及郁森盛三家商號獲批准鑄造壹兩與五錢銀餅。但因每月只能生產三千枚，遠不足敷用，加上大量仿造偽品橫行，導致此幣種僅流通半年左右便告結束。中國壹兩銀幣由上海始造，因此是意義重大的一版。

Estimate: $70000.00- $100000.00