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| Heritage World Coin Auctions > Hong Kong Signature Sale 3134 | Auction date: 17 June 2026 |
| Lot number: 33014 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: China Qing Dynasty. De Zong Engraved Master Cash ND (1887-1898) Certified 90 by Gong Bo Grading, Board of Revenue mint (North Branch), Hartill-22.1278 var (Master Coin), Jen-1683. "Guang Xu tong bao". 23.7x1.5mm. 4.60gm. Another incredible "Engraved Master" from this world-class collection of Chinese Cash issues. The surfaces on this unique piece are crisp as the day it was hand-engraved, with minimal toning over the brassy surfaces. The Diaomu, or engraved masters, are extremely hard to locate; famed Daniel Cheng only managed to acquire two examples in his decades of collecting. This trophy coin is one of the few outstandingly gathered by the W & L collector, now back in the market after 30+ years. The Engraved Master coins, also known as Ancestor coins, are the very beginning of the Cash coinage process, the "seeds for minting regular currency" as put by Jen. Skilled engravers would execute the new design on a blank, quality copper planchette. By hand, they meticulously carved the characters with a sharp tool--one can still see the marks from such exquisite craftsmanship in this prime example--creating a prototype for the new issue. Such pieces were then presented to the Emperor himself for approval and then used as molds for casting the better known "Mother coins." The Mother coins were the first casts of the original engraved pieces, easily identifiable due to their much higher quality of casting and details. Finally, the Mother coins would be used to make several molds that would cast the circulating issues. Treasures from The W & L Collection www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice https://coins.ha.com/itm/china/china-qing-dynasty-de-zong-engraved-master-cash-nd-1887-1898-certified-90-by-gong-bo-grading-/a/3134-33014.s?type=DA-DMC-CoinArchives-WorldCoins-3134-06172026 HID02906262019 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved Certification number: Gong Bo 1118020497 Estimate: 50000-100000 USD |  |
