Ms. Cheung from Wan Chai's Grandfather's Keepsake: 1897 Mexican Eagle Silver Dollar Recovery Record

Not all silver dollars were minted in China. As a centuries-old trading port, many Hong Kong families have foreign silver coins mixed in with their old belongings – especially families with ties to Southeast Asia.

Ms. Cheung, around thirty years old, runs a bar in Wan Chai. Her grandfather was an Indonesian-Chinese who returned to Hong Kong in the 1960s and settled down. After he passed away, he left behind a collection of miscellaneous items. Ms. Cheung had never bothered with them until recently, when her bar needed tens of thousands of dollars for rent and deposit. She then thought of going through her grandfather's old things to see if there was anything valuable. Tucked away in a compartment of an old leather briefcase, she found three large silver coins wrapped in oil paper.

"I know absolutely nothing about these things. I found you online and thought that someone specializing in this field would be more reliable," Ms. Cheung said as she brought the three silver coins to our appraisal desk.

Physical Appraisal: Culiacan Mint "Eagle" Peso

The three silver coins were laid out. The obverse of all of them featured the Mexican national emblem – an eagle standing on a cactus, holding a snake in its beak. The reverse showed a Phrygian cap with rays of light. The edge was inscribed with "REPUBLICA MEXICANA". Turning them over revealed the year and mint mark:

  • First coin: 1897, mint mark "Cn" (Culiacan Mint), condition VF30
  • Second coin: 1899, mint mark "Mo" (Mexico City Mint), condition VF25
  • Third coin: 1901, mint mark "Zs" (Zacatecas Mint), condition F15

In the 19th century, Mexican "eagle" pesos were the most widely circulated trade silver coins globally, extensively used in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Their standard weight was 27.07 grams, with a silver content of 90.3%. The actual measured weights of the three coins were 26.9, 27.0, and 26.7 grams, respectively, which is within the normal margin of error.

Quotation and Transaction

In 2026, the buyback price for "eagle" pesos in Hong Kong: ordinary VF grade is approximately HK$1,800-3,000, depending on the year and mint mark. The Culiacan mint version has lower production, so it carries a slight premium. The total quoted price for the three coins was HK$7,200.

Ms. Cheung confirmed on the spot, saying it was just enough to cover the outstanding rent. Before leaving, she asked, "My grandfather also has several old photo albums. Is it possible there are other valuable things tucked inside?" We advised her to look through them carefully and send photos if she found anything.

Do you have old foreign silver coins you don't recognize? WhatsApp 98342057 to send photos, and Gukim Appraisals will provide a free preliminary appraisal.

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Common FAQs

船洋、坐洋、站洋有咩分別？

三種都係常見國外/民國銀元。「船洋」係民國二十二、二十三年中華民國孫中山帆船銀幣（背面有帆船），普品 HK$800–2,500，民國二十一年「三鳥幣」稀有版可達 HK$50,000+。「坐洋」係法屬印度支那 1885-1928 年發行（背面有坐姿女神），普品 HK$300–1,200。「站洋」係 1895-1935 年英國貿易銀（背面有站姿不列顛女神），普品 HK$500–2,000。

日本龍銀值多少錢？

明治三年（1870 年）一圓龍銀係「圓形銀塊」中嘅頭炮，普通品 HK$8,000–15,000、欠貝圓稀版可達 HK$27,000+。明治七至三十年（1874-1897）一圓普品 HK$1,500–4,000。大正時期一圓鑄量大、價較低，HK$1,200–3,000。昭和八年（1933 年）一圓係樣幣，存世極少，可達 HK$50,000 以上。

墨西哥鷹洋係咪都係銀嘅？

係，墨西哥鷹洋（1824-1897 年發行）含銀量 90.3%、重 27.07g，係晚清流通最廣嘅外國銀元之一。普通年份 HK$500–2,000；早期 1824-1860 年版本或稀有鑄造廠標記版本（如 Mo、Zs、Go）可達 HK$5,000–20,000。家中發現舊鷹洋千祈唔好洗，包漿係保值關鍵。

Antique gold appraisal and treasure buying with cash on-site service:

Recycling process

  • 1) Clients should first provide basic information about their collections via WhatsApp (852) 98342057. You can also contact us directly via this link.

  • 2) We will provide a preliminary quote after receiving the image information.

  • 3) Both parties agree on a time and place (on-site inspection is available) to inspect the collection. We will provide a precise quote based on the actual condition of the collection.

  • 4) Confirm the sale and make payment in various forms such as bank transfer or cash.
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