安徽省造光绪元宝宝皖十文米字星飞龙 PCGS XF 40

安徽省造光绪元宝十文。极其珍罕的安徽飞龙，米字星，英文"AN-HUI"。据周沁园、李平文在《中国机製铜元目录》中所载， 安徽飞龙有梅花星及米字星两种版别，而在所有安徽机製十文铜元中，米字星飞龙和另一版别"方孔水龙"并列稀罕程度首位。泉界前辈Tracey Woodward也在书中提及米字星飞龙极稀贵。

目前惟一可考的安徽十文飞龙拍卖记录，是在2014年4月3日香港Baldwin拍卖中的286号拍品，上拍前先为Dr. Norman Jacobs所藏，后为Ake Linden所有，获评NGC AU50BN，落槌价38,000美金，版别仅为梅花星。此次米字星飞龙在公开拍卖中出现，机会难得，不言而喻。光滑棕色底板，图文高铸处呈现柔美焦糖色，来源可靠，定会成为您藏品系列中最亮眼的一枚。PCGS EF-40 BN Secure Holder.

From the Q. David Bowers Collection.
Ex: R. B. White.CHINA.

Anhwei. 10 Cash, ND (1902-06). PCGS EF-40 BN Secure Holder.CL-AH.05; Y-39.1; CCC-75; W-92 (F-28); Duan-0586. EXTREMELY RARE flying dragon type with six-pointed stars. Province spelled "AN-HUI", reeded edge. According to Zhou Qinyuan and Li Pingwen authors of the outstanding reference "Concise Catalogue of Modern Chinese Copper Coins", of the two varieties listed for the flying dragon one is with rosettes while the other has six-pointed stars such as the present example. Upon further comparison the flying dragon type with six-pointed stars is the rarest of all Anhwei 10 cash with the only exception being of a totally different type, the square hole type with facing dragon, of about equal rarity. The pioneering works of Tracey Woodward state that this type is excessively rare. The only example of the flying dragon type that we were able to locate was the Ake Linden Ex: Dr. Norman Jacobs specimen graded NGC-AU50BN sold in Baldwins Hong Kong auction April 3, 2014 Lot # 286 that hammered down at $38,000. The Linden/Jacobs piece also happened to be the more "common" variety with rosettes rather than six-pointed stars. The chance to acquire such a rarity should not be taken lightly as it may not appear on the market again for many years to come. Handsome smooth medium brown patina in the open fields with complementary caramel atop of the devices. A lovely example with a fabulous provenance sure to be the centerpiece of the next collection it enters.