Bidspirit auction | Sun Yat-sen Silver Coin ''Birds

Sun Yat-sen Silver Coin ''Birds Over Junk'' - Sun Yat-sen Silver Coin ''Birds Over Junk'' Republic of China, 1932. Silver (.880). Ø approx. 39 mm. Weight approx. 26.7 g. The obverse features the bust of Sun Yat-sen, with Chinese characters above for ''The Twenty-first Year of the Republic of China''. The reverse shows a junk with three birds and a rising sun above it. The special significance of coin year 21 lies not only in its historical symbolism, as the portrait of Sun Yat-sen underscores his central role in the founding of the Republic of China. At the same time, the design was politically controversial: the motif with birds and the rising sun was interpreted as pro-Japanese at the time and ultimately led to the swift withdrawal of the issue. Today, the coin also possesses a distinct numismatic rarity, as well-preserved pieces and rare proof strikes attract strong collector interest at auctions.