拍品描述： 光绪丁未年造大清金币库平一两金样币。天津造币厂。后铸。CHINA. Gold Kuping Tael Pattern Restrike, CD (1907). Tientsin Mint. Kuang-hao (Guangxu). PCGS SPECIMEN-61.

重36.07克。绝无仅有的一件藏品。广受推崇的版别中品相最迷人的一枚。铸打深峻，细节不见显眼经手或留痕。光线下可见亮金色光泽熠熠生辉，摩擦痕迹极少，仅有若干零散铜斑，与评级相符。库平一两是中国的首版现代金币，在中国钱币中地位崇高，当中1907版更是稀少。鉴于此枚与清廷相关，必定更受追捧，竞拍或会升至难以超越的水平。这些极为罕见的库平壹两是试验性质的样币，从未正式进入流通。以壹两为单位发行金币作流通的计划从未实现。主要原因是中国缺乏黄金储备，而且当时的货币制度以白银为标准。因此採用98%纯金为户部打铸的一两样币数量极少。此枚原属于光绪帝师-孙家鼐。孙家鼐1827年生于寿州（今寿县）。

咸丰年间高中状元并入直上书房，后来被委任为湖北学政。1878年孙家鼐成为帝师，教授被慈禧太后挟制的光绪帝。晚年的孙家鼐反对与日本开战，但并未受重视，最终导致中日甲午战争爆发。四年后，孙家鼐被名为管理京师大学堂事务大臣，管理新成立的京师大学堂。晚清时期西方与日本的影响日益增强，当时面临的一大挑战就是在保守与改革之间寻求平衡。

孙家鼐立场温和，主张借鉴欧美经验，未有提出会激怒保守派的激进变法，因此倖免于1898年的戊戌政变与义和团运动的迫害。孙家鼐于1909年，即溥仪登基同年逝世，较其学生光绪帝长寿，是该段动荡时期中举足轻重的人物。孙家鼐的侄子与著名政治家李鸿章的外甥女联姻，并生下姪孙-孙多钰。孙多钰是民国时期最著名的实业家之一。从康奈尔大学工科毕业后，曾在水泥厂、麵粉厂、矿业公司及银行任职董事长。此枚库平一两为光绪帝御赐予孙家鼐作纪念，后由侄子孙多钰继承。家族保存多年后，孙多钰孙子，即孙家鼐的曾曾侄孙委托拍卖。本拍品由皇帝亲赐予晚晴时期最具影响力的人物，血统显赫，我们经手的同版无一能与之媲美。L&M-1024; Fr-2; K-1541; KM-Pn302; WS-0009; Wenchao-11 (rarity: ★★★★).

Weight: 36.07 gms. A <strong>PHENOMENALLY </strong><strong>RARE </strong>and most enchanting example of this fabled type, featuring bold strike quality and details that escape instances of major handling. The bright golden luster sheens and shimmers when held in the light, with limited touches of friction noticed, along with a few scattered copper spots, consistent for the grade assigned. The Kuping Tael has a revered place in Chinese numismatics, standing as the first modern Chinese gold issue, of which the 1907 issue is more elusive. This examples place is elevated to an even higher pedestal given its connection to the Imperial Court, an association that will doubtlessly propel this example to the highest heights of spirited bidding.<em>These very rare Kuping Taels </em><em>were struck on an experimental basis as patterns only, and were never released into circulation.

The plans to issue gold coinage in units of one Tael for circulation, unfortunately, never materialized. This was largely due to Chinas lack of gold reserves combined with the current currency being based on the silver standard. Hence, a limited number of pattern Taels were struck in 98% pure gold as patterns for the Ministry of Revenue.</em><em>

This example was originally in the possession of Sun Jianai, Imperial Tutor to the Emperor Guangxu. Sun Jianai was born in Shouzhou, modern Shouxian, in 1827. During the reign of Xianfeng, Sun Jianai achieved first place in the Imperial examination, </em><em>"zhuangyuan", and subsequently was appointed the Governor of Hubei Province in addition to being an Imperial lecturer and reader. In 1878 Sun Jianai was appointed to tutor the young Emperor Guangxu, serving to instruct the Emperor who was under the sway of the Empress Dowager Cixi. Later in life, Sun Jianai opposed open warfare with the Japanese Empire, a position that was not heeded in the runup to the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894. Four years later, Sun Jianai served as the first Minister of Education and President of the Advisory Council to the newly established Peking University. One of the prominent challenges of the late Qing Dynasty was striking a balance between the need for reform and the desire to preserve traditional Chinese customs against the weight of the growing influence of the West and Japan in China. Sun Jianai sought to provide a middle ground for reform, suggesting lessons were to be drawn from Europe and America, without embarking on extreme reforms that would upset traditionalists. His moderate stances protected him from both the reformist movement of 1898 and the subsequent conservative Boxer Rebellion. </em><em>Sun Jianai died in 1909, the first year of the reign of Puyi, outliving his pupil the Emperor Guangxu and having played a prominent role during this tumultuous period in China.</em> <em>Sun Jianais nephew and the niece of prominent statesman Li Hongzhang </em><em>were married in an alliance, a union that begat Sun Duoyu grandnephew of Sun Jianai. Sun Duoyu was one of the most prominent industrialists of post-Imperial China, becoming the chairman of a cement factory, flour mill, mining company and bank after attending Cornell University. The present Tael was originally given to Sun Jianai by the Guangxu Emperor as a memento, being later passed by Sun Jianai to his nephew Sun Duoyu. The Tael was kept in the family until its offering here by the grandson of Sun Duoyu, the great-great-grandnephew of Sun Jianai. This exceptional pedigree ties this piece to one of the most consequential figures in the late Qing Dynasty and offers an Imperial connection that is unlike any other example of this type we have yet sold.</em>From the R.L. Sun Collection