1866 HONG KONG Dollar queen Victor

Description

KM-10; Mars-C41; Hong Kong Coins-pg. 55#94. Reeded edge, coin axis variety. A
VERY RARE
proof issue of this beloved type, preserved with designs that display ultimate crispness and fields that possess moderate and consistent reflectivity. Light copper gold tone appears over both sides and further accents the appearance, while all instances of handling remain rather trivial. In this presentation quality, a coin that will surely retain intense demand for ages to come.
Produced at the Hong Kong Mint on Sugar Street in Causeway Bay. The mint conducted coining operations for a brief period of only about two years. From 1866-1868 a total of 2,109,000 Hong Kong Dollars were struck for circulation. Their acceptance in circulation was hindered by a few factors. First, the Dollar denominations were not consistent in weight, with inconsistencies varying well over half of a gram per coin. Second, Chinese merchants were accustomed to chop marking silver coins after they had been authenticated. Rumors began to spread that defacing the portrait of Queen Victoria would be considered offensive and hence this detoured people from using the Hong Kong Dollar. The exact number of proof Hong Kong Dollars that were minted is unknown today, but the number of surviving examples today suggests the amount is relatively small.