The auction exceeded expectations, realizing over $21.8 million versus the pre-sale high estimate of just over $19.5 million.

The results again showcased the market leadership for which Stack's Bowers & Ponterio is known and signaled a strengthening Asian market.

The June Hong Kong (SAR) Global Showcase Auction by Stack’s Bowers & Ponterio exceeded expectations, realizing a total of $21,804,064. This surpassed the pre-sale high estimate of just over $19.5 million. The results again showcased the market leadership for which Stack’s Bowers is known and also signaled a strengthening Asian market. Throughout the five sessions, bidders responded with enthusiasm, pushing many lots to triple-digit bids and filling the sale to an impressive 97%.

The highly-anticipated Rarities Night featured vintage Chinese treasures, with many items greatly outpacing their estimates. The catalog cover coin (lot 40185), a 1934 Chang Tso-lin "Mukden Tiger" coin, achieved the sale’s highest realization at $1,020,000. Among other highlights were the gold Dragon and Peacock 20 Dollars (lot 40070), which sold for $396,000, as well as the Gold K’uping Tael (lot 40155), which garnered $528,000. A gold striking of the Pavilion Dollar (lot 40159), sold for $384,000, while a magnificent example of the “Seven Three Reversed Pattern” Dollar (lot 40057), brought $660,000—more than four times its low estimate. The session, which comprised 218 coins, reached an impressive total of $12,361,020.

Beyond the Rarities Night session, a massive gold 10 Tael Ingot (lot 41050) garnered $66,000 and a Hong Kong Pattern Dollar that once belonged to Sir Hercules Robinson, the Fifth Governor of Hong Kong (lot 42092), realized $102,000. From the Philippines, an exceptionally rare 1903-S 50 Centavos (lot 42552), reached $55,200, while from the Netherlands East Indies, a mysterious emergency issue 48 Stivers (lot 42494), sold for $26,400.

Sessions offering World Paper Money also performed well, as the total of all lots sold reached $3,559,461, just short of the department’s previous record. An immense rarity, the Yu Chuan Honan Official Bank Tael (lot 30483) realized $60,000, and a pair of $10,000 Yuan front and back specimens from the People’s Republic of China (lot 31059) brought $55,200. A note from the popular Russo-Asiatic Bank (lot 30407) sold for $45,600, and one from the German-Asiatic Bank (lot 30282) reached $43,200.

Other Coin Highlights Include:

• A magnificent 1792 Small 10 variety of the Count Bruma (lot 42419) realized $48,000. Among the coins in the Bruma collection, several brought over $30,000, including a brilliant 1791 Kreuzer (lot 42414) and a unique 1790 Pfennig (lot 42413).

• A copy of the 1787 Pattern Dollar in brass (lot 40017) sold for $30,000. The original, in silver, is part of the Smithsonian Institution collection.

• A coin in platinum from the reign of Emperor Paul I of Russia (lot 40407) sold for $25,200. Platinum coins are not generally seen in this period from Russia.

Other Currency Highlights:

• A Fr. 108A variety of the 1914 500 Franc note (lot 30137) sold for $30,000. Only two examples of this note, which is part of the Standard Federal issue, are known to exist.

• A 1944 note for 100 Pesetas (lot 30334) from the Spanish State realized $26,400. This note is from the final series of paper money issued by the Franco regime in 1944. After the Civil War, the Spanish government remained largely isolated from the international community.

• A note from 1938 in the denomination of 100 Reichsbank Schein (lot 3