CHINA. Kwangtung. 20 Tael Currency Bar, ND.721.60 gms. A curious piece fusing the Annamese style of bullion bars with Chinese Sycee manufacturing techniques, as evidented by the air bubble pockets on the base and light ripple. The single stamp on the face reads"Guang Zhou Wan" naming Guangzhou Bay, an area which was leased to France by the Qing government in 1889 to counter the growing commercial power of the British and Portuguese in nearby Hong Kong and Macau. Despite being a foreign port, the area of Guangzhou Bay remained predominantly Chinese and was popular with smugglers, which would give credence to the Annamese style of this bar as it was likely meant for use in the opium trade coming up from French Indo-China.VERY FINE.
