Hong Kong Coinage (香港錢幣) 華夏泉貨彙考

The First Hong Kong Coins III

The Hong Kong Ten Cents Coin

As a result of the Treaty of Nanking, Hong Kong became a British Colony in 1841, but the Hong Kong's own coinage did not come into existence until 23 years later. Sir Hercules Robinson, the Fifth Governor of Hong Kong [1859-1865]. who declared that the commencement of Hongkong's own coinage on 16th February 1864. Though Royal Proclamation had already granted the use of the new coinage in Hong Kong on 9th January 1863.
Before Hong Kong had her own coinage, Hong Kong currency followed the British sterling system with an official gold standard. Although it was unworkable for the trading economy between Hong Kong and Mainland China at that time. Later, as the traders and settlers of Hong Kong were accustomed to the Chinese system of using weighed silver as money, Hong Kong monetary authority had to change its currency standard from gold to silver in order to secure a better trading relationship with the Chinese in Kwangtung Province. So that the using of Hong Kong daily currencies tended to similarity with Mainland China. Traders and settlers of Hong Kong used Spanish or Mexican eight Reales silver coins and Chinese silver bars or ingots for large amount of transactions and used Chinese copper cash, as well as the Indian or British low denomination silver, copper coins for the small payment.

The Official Exchange Rate:
1 Pound Sterling = 5 Mexican Dollars 
1 Mexican Dollar = 2 and 1/4 Indian Rupees
1 Mexican Dollar = 1200 Copper cash

The issuing of Hong Kong first coinage were in three denominations including a silver ten cents, a copper cent and a copper mil. All three types of coin were minted in England, but were designed for use in Hong Kong. The value of each coin was denoted in both Chinese and English.

Marks of Rareness of the Collected Currencies
Extremely Rare A ~ Very Rare B ~ Rare C ~ Not So Many D ~ Common E

Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 383
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness C
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
Before I talk about Hong Kong silver coins, I would like to take this opportunity to pay a tribute to Mr. Ray hamson, author of "Regal Coinage of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of History handbook, 1966". I was enlightened much by him, though I was not a collector 30 years ago. As he pointed out that: All silver issues of Hong Kong minted prior to 1885, (except 1876), can be considered to be very scarce in any condition." in his book. Actually, the production of Hong Kong subsidiary silver coins had a great increase after 1885. Most of them were widely circulated in Southern China as the Chinese eventually accepted them until 1890, China had her own coinage, which caused large amount of the Hong Kong coins returned to the conlony. This type of silver coin was first minted at the Royal Mint in London, starting in 1863. Inscriptions on the obverse of this coin are English VICTORIA QUEEN and Queen's crowned bust left. There are 10 pearls in right arch of the crown, this actually denotes the mintmark for Lindon Mint. [ Some of the 1866 ten cents were produced with 11 pearls in right arch of crown, they were minted by Hong Kong Mint. ] The Inscriptions on the reverse are four Chinese characters (means Hong Kong ten cents) in inner circle. In upper outer circle, English (Hong - Kong). Right and left small nine-dots rosettes. In lower outer circle (HONG KONG TEN CENTS 1863) indicating the denomination and date. The chief engraver of Royal Mint in London was Mr. Leonard C. Wyon at that time. Leonard Charles Wyon (23 November 1826 – 20 August 1891) was a British engraver of the Victorian era most notable for his work on the gold and silver coinage struck for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887 and the bronze coinage of 1860 with the second ("bun") head portrait, in use from 1860 to 1894. Reference: Wikipedia
Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 384
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness C
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
In 1868 the Hong Kong Mint was closed, Heaton's Mint recommenced striking coins for Hong Kong from 1872. I do not have 1872H ten cents coin as it is very rare, for its low mintage of 88,000 pieces only. I have a ten cents coin dated 1873, though it is in lightly circulated condition. I am very happy with it. I recently got it from eBay, I thought its condition is acceptable to me. This coin was minted by Royal Mint in London.
Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 385
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness C
Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 386
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness C
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
There are two ten cents coins dated 1883. The first one was minted by R. Heaton & Sons Ltd. (now the Mint, Birmingham Ltd.). View the H below bust and the round-topped 3 in date as well as the bold and short hyphen between HONG-KONG please? The second one was minted by Royal Mint in London. It is similar to the first one, but a slightly different portrait of the Queen. Shaped (instead of flat) nose, with more pronounced nostril. Different "Q" in "QUEEN" with a simpler tail. Obverse rim beading less widely spaced. Longer hyphen than hitherto. Flat-topped 3 in date.
Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 115
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness D
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
This Queen Victoria's coin is in an extremely fine condition, all the original detail visible and only a light wear over the coin. You can see clearly not only the pearls and brocade at the top of the shoulder, but also the pearls on the lower rim of the crown and the hair above the eye. All these high points show slight wear only. This is an attractive coin. This coin was minted in England. As I know that Hong Kong Mint was closed in 1868, Hong Kong minor silver coins were struck again in England from 1872 onwards. Inscriptions on the obverse of this coin are English VICTORIA QUEEN and Queen's crowned bust left. The Inscriptions on the reverse are four Chinese characters (means Hong Kong ten cents) in inner circle. In upper outer circle, English (Hong - Kong). Right and left small rosettes. In lower outer circle (HONG KONG TEN CENTS 1893) indicating the denomination and date.
Obverse	Reverse	Description
		No. 116
		Diam. 17.5 mm
		Wt. 2.8 g.
		Rareness D
Mint Evolution and Peculiarity
This King Edward VII's 10 cents coin with attractive toning, is in an almost uncirculated condition, all details are visible. There is a little wear only on the highest point of the coin. There is half of the original mint luster present. It is difficult to get coin in nice condition, especially from the cat street. I collected it with HK$20 in Upper Lascar Row in 1990. I think I lost much, though HK$20 was too much for me at that time. I remembered that the hawker who had many ten cents coins of different dates. All his coins were in extremely fine condition and were sold at the same price of HK$20 each. But I thought that it was enough for me to have one specimen of each denomination in Hong Kong coins collecting. I had bought one piece only. The inscriptions of this coin are almost the same as the above coin except the crowned bust of King Edward VII instead of Queen Victoria and the date 1902 replaced 1893.

You can also view the
Hong Kong One Cent Coin Page or
Other Hong Kong Coin Pages

Additional comment

I have received two commentaries about Hong Kong coinage from a very advance collector, Mr. R.K. of Canada. I appreciate very much. If you want to share your knowledge and enthusism in numismatics, feel free to contact me please.
I have placed below one of the commentaries which is self-explained. Thanks indeed to Mr. R.K..
On Sun, 01 Feb 1998, Mr. R.K. wrote:
I would like to commend you for setting up such an interesting web site. My particular interests are in Hong Kong coinage which I consider to be among the most beautiful and historically interesting of the British Commonwealth countries. For unknown reasons, it is not as widely collected as the coinage of early China.
I would like to comment on two matters contained in your site: the silver issues of 1876; and, the error coinage.
R. Hamson's comments that the silver issues of 1876 are not very scarce in any condition is erroneous. A review of the mintage figures for 1876 denominations is in line with the other dates prior to 1885. Furthermore, a review of dealer inventories will disclose that this date is as scarce as any other prior to 1885. I can only suspect that Mr. Hamson was either just guessing or that he may, at some point and for some unexplained reason, have run across a hoard of coins in which he found more of 1876 than other dates. I don't know who R. Hamson was, but it would be a mistake to assume something as being factual solely on the basis that it is documented in a published work.

R.K.
Canada

Bibliography

Ray Hamson : Regal Coinage of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Museum of History handbook, 1966.

Robert Lam : The Currency of Hong Kong, published by the Urban Council,Oct., 1983. ISBN 962-7039-08-1 UC 10483.

Joe Cribb : Money in the Bank, published by Spink & Son Ltd 1987, ISBN 0907605 22 2

Chester L. Krause and Clifford Mishler Colin R. Bruce II. : Standard catalog of World Coins 1991, 18th edition.

Links/References
網站參考鏈接

Any additional comment would be much appreciated, you can send it to Y K Leung.