CHIANG KAI-SHEK MEDAL FAILS TO SELL

"Look closer! It's got a picture of a kitty cat!"

A medal presented to late Republic of China leader Chiang Kai-shek in 1930 went unsold at an auction in Hong Kong Friday amid controversy over its authenticity.

The item on sale, the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon, was reportedly the only one among the more than 200 such military decorations that was awarded to Chiang and inscribed with characters meaning "Special One."

Anna Lee, who presided over the Spink & Son auction, brushed off the failure to find a buyer, saying it was not uncommon for auction houses to not sell collectibles on offer.

Asked if pricing was to blame, Lee said the floor price of HK$2.8 million (US$360,000) was relatively low given an earlier estimate of the medal's worth at between HK$3-5 million (US$387,000-$645,000).

Lee also dismissed the link between doubts over the authenticity of the medal and the failure to draw a bid, and reiterated that the medal was genuine.

Conflicting claims over the authenticity of the medal were raised before the auction, with Taiwan's defense ministry saying the medal given to Chiang was buried with the late ROC president in Taoyuan in 1975.

To read the complete article, see: Chiang Kai-shek medal fails to sell at Hong Kong auction (www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120825000063&cid=1104)

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web