"L. Giorgi" 3/4 Facing Bust Pattern Dollar of Yuan Shih-kai
photo: stacks bowers
This pattern exhibits a bold strike showing every detail of Yuan Shih-kai's hair, eyes, and a good portion of his mustache. The fields are frosty, softly lustrous, and imbued with gray to dark gray tone. A slight break in tone occurs on the cheek, a natural high point that was most probably in contact with a containment device in the past and thus toned differently. For all practical purposes this example is as good an offering as one is likely to see in the near future.
Proposed pattern for the 1914 Yuan Shih-kai Dollar of Year 3 (1914). Vastly different from the adopted type as this piece features a three-quarters facing portrait of Yuan Shih-kai, rather than the left facing portrait found on the circulation issues. Two major varieties exist of this pattern designed by chief engraver Luigi Giorgi. This is an example of the second type which is signed, just to the right of the bust along the interior of the rim. This second type with the signature is substantially rarer than the unsigned type. Beautiful peripheral toning cradles the stern and authoritative portrait.
