2018-03-03 Sat

The Tiananmen Square massacre took place in China in 1989. This event led to a freedom movement in the Communist country. Spink’s Auction sold a relic of that movement with American connections. The item was graded Extremely Fine and was sold between 14th and 17th January in New York City for $1,080.

The Yuan Shih-Kai coin is commonly referred as Fat Man dollar. It was issued in 1920 and was counterstamped. It depicts an anti-Communist symbol and a peripheral Chinese legend counterstamped on the obverse.

The reverse features a counterstamped legend CHINA FREEDOM DOLLAR. SUPPORT THE FEDERATION. SAVE THE STUDENTS. Berkeley Chinese Students & Scholars Association was formed to help Chinese exchange students stuck in the US after the massacre.

Some Chinese silver dollars and foreign crowns used in China in the early 20th century were countermarked and sold to raise funds.

The auction house offered the example in a BCSSA envelope.

Image Courtesy: Spink