167, Lot: 215. Estimate $75. Sold for $47. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

CHINA, Imperial. Dated 1907 (Cyclical date). AR Fantasy Tael (45mm, 35.74 g). Four Chinese characters in circle surrounded by two schematic dragons; date characters within circle of dragons / Celestial dragons holding heavenly pearl above mountains; denomination in center. Edge: rosettes and Chinese characters with legend GIORGI L GIORGI GIORGI LNC. Cf. Kann B34; cf. Bruce X M65. Good VF. Lot also includes a Wang Mang Æ Huo Pu, Schjöth 148; authenticity undetermined.VF. Two coins in lot.

See the Irving Goodman Collection of Chinese Coins (Superior, 3-4 June 1991) lots 1340-1342 for examples with milled (reeded) edge. Neither Kann nor Bruce mention the edge treatment. Luigi Giorgi (Qi Qiao Lu Yi Yi) engraved dies for the Chinese Central Mint at Tientsin from the early 1900’s to about 1920. He designed the last imperial dragon dollars, but his most famous work is the Yuan Shih Kai “Fat Man” dollar of the early Republic. This fantasy tael does not appear to have been noted as one of his works, and the general crudeness of the design suggests the edge inscription, like the rest if the coin, is a fantasy. Still popular and collectible in the Chinese series.