1883 10C Hawaii PR(PCGS#10981)

May 2012 Pre-Long Beach Auction #69 U.S. Coins

拍卖行

Goldberg Auctioneers

批号

1819

等级

PR66

价格

190,419

详细说明

Lot 1819 1883 Hawaiian Ten Cents.. Medcalf-Russell 2CS-1.PCGS graded Proof 66 CAC Approved.In a new secure plus holder. Pop 3; none finer at PCGS. Nicely toned on both sides with delicate shades of origiinal color which include warm golds to amber deep trending into red, along with subtle antique grays blending effortlessly across the surface into iridescent silvery and blue. (The companion Proof 66 to this dime in the accompanying Lot has toning at the edge but not suffused throughout the field on either side like this specimen.) An apt term for the surface would be "resplendent fields," since the fields below the toning are as smooth, level to perfection, and gleaming with reflectivity as when first struck. Probably a good many Hawaiian coins are no longer as carefully preserved as this magnificent Proof piece, with no suggestion or even a whisper of weakness at the King�s sideburn, hair curls, or mutton-chop beard. Even under strong magnification, the detail delights the connoisseur�s eye. The Hawaiian Dime, unlike its larger cousins, skips the royal emblem on the reverse and is instead modeled along the lines of the U.S. Seated Liberty dimes of the day, with an open wreath in which is placed the denomination. A small royal crown above. The national motto which surrounds was adopted in the 1840s for the Kingdom of Hawaii and carried over into the 20th Century as the official Hawaii State motto when Hawaii became the 50th State in the Union in 1959. Proofs were struck at the Philadelphia Mint along with the other 1883 Kalakaua Proof coinage, from dies made under the stewardship of Charles E. Barber, chief engraver of the Mint. These, like the quarter dollar, half dollar, and silver dollar use the standard weight and fineness of American coins. U.S. coins were legal tender in the Hawaiian Islands from an early period. An impressive rarity in the Hawaiian series. This splendid coin is one of only 26 Proofs struck. More to the point, the dime is the second rarest of all Hawaiian Proof denominations as a business strikeand the present example ranks at the top among the few Proof examples available to collectors in the 21st century. It is significant that this is tied with two others as finest certified PCGS and that PCGS has assigned no grade higher than Proof-66. A coin that will fascinate and bring chills down the spin of any numismatist who spends a few minutes with it, and we can see how this may well bring a record-shattering price for a Hawaiian Ten Cent piece! (PCGS # 10981) . Historic note: Hawaii's second elected ruler, David Kalakaua came to the throne in 1874 after the premature death of King William Lunalilo (who died from tuberculosis at the age of 39). Kalakaua is responsible for restoring Hawaiian culture, hobbled for decades by Christian missionaries, for building Iolani Palace, and, in an effort to promote his kingdom in America, Europe, and the Far East. King Kalakaua became the first monarch to circumnavigate the globe. Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000. The Forsythe Collection.