CHINA. Shanghai. Tael, Year 6 (1856). Hsien-feng (Xianfeng). PCGS AU-55.
L&M-591; K-901 (type B); WS-1126; Wenchao-387 (rarity: ★★★★). Issued by Yu Shen Sheng and engraved by Feng Nien. Obverse: "Cake (of) standard silver (from the) business firm (of) Yu Shen Sheng (in the) Shanghai district (in the) 6th year (of Emperor) Hsien Feng;" Reverse: "Made (by) Feng Nien, silversmith; Supervised (by) Zhu Yuan Yu. Exact weight one Tsaoping Tael." A VERY RARE issuer, this type presents a wondrous opportunity for an exceptionally difficult type. Tied with just two others for the top spot in the PCGS census, this alluringly toned and very lightly handled specimen presents some adjustment marks near the peripheries, but otherwise stands with very clear characters upon each side. 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.
From the Nine Dragons Collection.

咸豐六年上海縣號商郁森盛足紋銀餅。
珍罕度： ★★★★。 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"。 罕見發行，PCGS中與另外兩枚並列冠軍分，誘人包漿，輕微經手，環形些許調整留痕，銘文刻劃分明。太平天國運動後，嚴重的通貨膨脹導致囤銀成風。這一時期，反而是西班牙8里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里亞爾銀幣。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: $75000.00- $150000.00