Was the Wilson Dollar copied by the Shanghai Mint?

Zoins

The US helped set up both the Manila Mint, who's opening was celebrated by the Wilson Dollar, and the Shanghai Mint. They both have similar Mint opening medals. Was one copied from the other?

I only recently came across this Shanghai Mint opening medal and think it's amazing. This specimen sold for $24,000!

Ref: https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-VWMUH/china-sun-yat-sencompletion-of-the-shanghai-mint-bronze-medal-year-19-1930-ngc-ms-62-brown

Wilson Dollar:

Shanghai Mint Opening Dollar with Sun Yat-Sen, President of the Republic of China.

jt88

The topic is pretty advance for me. That medal is rare.

jt88

I don’t find that Chinese medal in Shanghai museum collection.

Zoins

@jt88 said:
I don’t find that Chinese medal in Shanghai museum collection.

Is that unusual? Are other attributed medals not in the Shanghai museum collection? This is a pretty early medal.

CaptHenway

I would not have ever thought "Hmmm! This looks like a copy of that!" had you not suggested it. I still don't see any similarity other than head facing left.

Zoins

@CaptHenway said:
I would not have ever thought "Hmmm! This looks like a copy of that!" had you not suggested it. I still don't see any similarity other than head facing left.

"Copy" is more meant as artistic license and style, than say a counterfeiting perspective. The following look similar to me:

• obverse head facing left
• obverse figure is a President
• reverse top motto is about the opening of the mint
• reverse bottom text has city, country, and year

Other medals for the opening of a Mint are very simple without detailed engraved designs and are smaller size, like HK-876 for the Denver Mint.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1016519/hk-876-denver-mint-opening-gold-plated

RobertScotLover

Aren't all medals pretty much copies or have similarities to the previous ones.

Zoins

@RobertScotLover said:
Aren't all medals pretty much copies or have similarities to the previous ones.

Not based on what I wrote above:

• obverse head facing left
• obverse figure is a President
• reverse top motto is about the opening of the mint
• reverse bottom text has city, country, and year

Just look at the HK-876 Denver Mint Opening medal I posted

jt88

@Zoins said:

@jt88 said:
I don’t find that Chinese medal in Shanghai museum collection.

Is that unusual? Are other attributed medals not in the Shanghai museum collection? This is a pretty early medal.

I think it could mean very rare or the collection just ignore it.

johnny9434

@jt88 said:
The topic is pretty advance for me. That medal is rare.

We're not alone

jt88

Guess what I found one silver on ANS site. Here is the link: http://numismatics.org/collection/1977.188.6

Zoins

@jt88 said:
Guess what I found one silver on ANS site. Here is the link: http://numismatics.org/collection/1977.188.6

That's very cool!

It would have been great if that page indicated the pedigree like it does for many of their pieces.

Zoins

Pinging @JesseKraft on the ANS collection

jt88

I don't find any auction record for the silver. I am pretty sure it is very rare. I believe it was minted as a gift for only few people.