The Old Summer Palace — Yuanmingyuan — was looted and burned by Anglo-French forces in October 1860 during the Second Opium War, on the orders of Lord Elgin. The destruction was a deliberate act of collective punishment, intended to humiliate the Qing court without shelling Beijing itself. Tokelau, a New Zealand territory with no historical connection to China, has issued numerous collector coins under licensing arrangements that effectively use its sovereign minting authority as a vehicle for themed bullion products targeting the Asian market.
The Old Summer Palace — Yuanmingyuan — was looted and burned by Anglo-French forces in October 1860 during the Second Opium War, on the orders of Lord Elgin. The destruction was a deliberate act of collective punishment, intended to humiliate the Qing court without shelling Beijing itself. Tokelau, a New Zealand territory with no historical connection to China, has issued numerous collector coins under licensing arrangements that effectively use its sovereign minting authority as a vehicle for themed bullion products targeting the Asian market.