2017-12-29 Fri

During the first decade of the 20th century, machine-struck coins were introduced. The first silver srang pieces were struck in 1908. One of these coins struck in 1909, graded AU 55 by NGC was sold by Champion Hong Kong Auctions for $2,760 on 26th November in Macau against an estimate of $2,000 to $4,000.

The area witnessed a lot of geopolitical tensions when these coins were produced. After the British military invasion of Lhasa in 1904, the Dalai Lama escaped to Mongolia and later to Peking (Beijing). He came back to Lhasa in December 1909, but in February 1910, a Chinese army invaded Lhasa again, and the Dalai Lama took shelter in India.

Struck at the Dode Mint, the coin features traditional designs. Experts believe that since it is dated Year 1 of the Chinese Emperor Hsuan T’ung (Xuan Tong), it was not popular in Tibet. You will also find different die varieties of this coin.