Ultra-rare ‘dragon’ coin from imperial China era sells for $4.87M

Ultra-rare ‘dragon’ coin from imperial China era sells for $4.87M

The Hsüan-t’ung silver specimen pattern “short-whiskered dragon” dollar year 3 dates back to 1911 and was made at the Tientsin Mint in China.

Ultra-rare ‘dragon’ coin from imperial China sells for over $4.5 million

The rare Short-Whiskered Dragon Dollar. (Heritage Auctions via SWNS) By Charlie Fenton An ultra-rare experimental coin from the final days of imperial China has sold for $4.71 million. The Hsüan-t’ung silver specimen pattern “short-whiskered dragon” dollar year 3 — dates back to 1911 and was made at the Tientsin Mint in China. Produced in the final year of the Qing Dynasty the government was trying to create a modern, unified national currency s…