This week our preview for the Stack's Bowers & Ponterio April Hong Kong Showcase Auction is a very interesting Ration Dollar from Formosa (Modern day Taiwan). The Taiwan Treasury suppliedthe silver to produce this issue in order to pay for military rations and soldiers. These were issued during several months of uprising in 1853. Struck in the city of Taiwan, once the uprising wasput to an end, minting of this coinage ceased.

The obverse design features two crossed Lotus flowers, which lend the type its colloquial name: "Lotus Dollar." Two Chinese characters at the right side of the Lotus flowers denote: "PurePattern," while at the left side two characters mean: "For General Circulation." The reverse depicts a vase containing a plant. The Chinese characters that surround the vase translate to "PrefecturalTreasury" and "Military Rations."

This type is normally found with a multitude of chopmarks, which can be found on the obverse and reverse of this example, though less so on the obverse. A decorative Greek border surrounds bothdesigns. Despite the chopmarks, this example hosts some lovely golden toning hidden with the recesses, which is slightly more vibrant on the reverse.

To read the complete article, see:
High Grade Ju-I Military Ration Lotus Dollar (www.stacksbowers.com/News/Pages/Blogs.aspx?ArticleID=2417)