The Virtual Collection opens Liberia with a 1997 non-circulating coin. The obverse carries the Republic’s arms, the national motto, and the divided date 19–97. The reverse shows a Chinese dragon, the Hong Kong handover legend, and the value $20.
The gold color does not fix the alloy. The PM mark, read beside the date, is the Pobjoy Mint’s mark on the related pieces of the same commemoration. The Krause number, weight, diameter, and mintage of this 20 dollars remain unconfirmed.
Coins in the collection
A 1997 20 dollars with the Hong Kong handover dragon, with no serial and no certificate. Further coin pages will be published as they are documented.
1997
The Hong Kong handover
On 1 July 1997 Hong Kong left British administration, passed to Chinese sovereignty, and the Special Administrative Region was established.
Hong Kong’s official yearbook describes the handover ceremony, begun on the night of 30 June, and the establishment of the Special Administrative Region in the early hours of 1 July. Liberia did not strike this piece for ordinary circulation. Numista records the same commemoration as a 1 dollar (N#31953, KM#313), a round 10 dollars (N#84825, KM#314), and a 100 dollars (N#449709, KM#317, Fr#61). On those pages the mark PM is the Pobjoy Mint, Surrey. This coin reads 20 DOLLARS and $20: it is none of those three, and their weights, diameters, fineness, and mintages are not applied to it.
Sources
- Hong Kong Yearbook 1997 — The Handover and Related Ceremonies (opens in a new tab)
1 July 1997 begins the Special Administrative Region and ends British administration.
- Numista — 100 Dollars, Handover of Hong Kong, Liberia 1997 (N#449709) (opens in a new tab)
A related gold piece, KM#317 and Fr#61, with $100. It is not this 20-dollar coin. Weight, diameter, fineness, and mintage are not carried over.
- Numista — 10 Dollars, Handover of Hong Kong, Liberia 1997 (N#84825) (opens in a new tab)
A related piece, KM#314, with a dragon, Chinese characters, and the PM mark. The printed value is $10, not $20.