United Kingdom Trade Dollars
By Coinsanduk | Wednesday, 31 July 2024
Minted from 1895 for Hong Kong and the Straits Settlements, the British trade dollar was designed by George William De Saulles and features a dramatic standing Britannia, helmet-wearing, holding a trident and with the British shield with a merchant ship in the background.
On the reverse is an arabesque design with the Chinese symbol for longevity in the center, and the denomination in two languages – Chinese and Jawi Malay. Some 270 million pieces were struck over a forty-year period from the mid 1890s for circulation in the Far East.
Some of them have a mint mark which identify where they were produced:
- No mint mark: London
- B: Bombay. In the center prong of the trident
- C: Calcutta. In the ground between the left foot of Britannia and the base of the shield
Specifications
Same as the Spanish Dollar:
- Composition: Silver
- Fineness: .900
- Diameter: 39 mm
- Weight: ~27.2 g (7?8 troy ounce)
Before United Kingdom, trade dollars existed in the Far East. These .900 fine silver trade dollars were readily accepted as a medium of exchange.
After the Straits dollar was introduced to the Straits Settlements in 1903 andit became exclusively a Hong Kong coin produced until 1935. The 1921-B dollar was struck but never released for circulation, and only a limited number of 1934-B and 1935-B coins were released. These trade dollars were demonetized on August 1, 1937.
Patterns and proofs were made.
Prices and values
The value of a trade dollar depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, rarity, finish and more. Here are some examples of recent sales of some of the rarest ones:
- 2022 £16,400 - 1895-B NGC PR-61
- 2021 £43,800 - 1896-B NGC PR-63
- 2019 £17,500 - 1935-B PCGS MS-61
- 2016 £23,000 - 1897-B NGC PR-65
- 2005 £25,600 - 1921-B PCGS PR-63
