Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3061 7-8 Jan 2018
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Hawaii
Kalakaua I nickel Pattern 5 Cents 1881 MS62 NGC, Paris mint, Medcalf-Russel 2CN-1. Obv. Head of King Kalakaua left with KALAKAUA KING OF SANDWICH ISLANDS 1881 around. Rev. Numeral 5 enclosed by a garter inscribed AU MAU KE EA O KA AINA I KA PONO (state motto with the first word misspelled). The garter is topped by a crown with cross on top. Well struck, with full luster and light contact marks. This example is the variety with MAILLECHORT stamped into the edge. One of only 200 original strikings by the Paris mint. Unofficial copies were struck later, with different dies. The original pieces are easily distinguishable, as they have a cross on the crown and the copies have no cross. Extremely rare.
During a world tour in 1881, King Kalakaua was approached by the owner of a nickel mine in New Caledonia about the possibility of striking nickel coinage for the kingdom. Approximately 200 patterns were struck in Paris and forwarded to the king on his return to the islands, Unfortunately, the reverse inscription transposed the two letters in the first word of the state motto (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness), which should read UA instead of AU. Perhaps because of this, the pattern was rejected and no official coinage was issued until 1883. Another serious mistake was the obverse legend having the name SANDWICH ISLANDS instead of HAWAII. Sandwich Islands was the European name for the islands and was the name given to the islands by James Cook in the 1770's. Medcalf notes that many of the 200 original pieces were used as pocket pieces, or were made into jewelry. This accounts for the rarity of Mint State examples.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD
Kalakaua I nickel Pattern 5 Cents 1881 MS62 NGC, Paris mint, Medcalf-Russel 2CN-1. Obv. Head of King Kalakaua left with KALAKAUA KING OF SANDWICH ISLANDS 1881 around. Rev. Numeral 5 enclosed by a garter inscribed AU MAU KE EA O KA AINA I KA PONO (state motto with the first word misspelled). The garter is topped by a crown with cross on top. Well struck, with full luster and light contact marks. This example is the variety with MAILLECHORT stamped into the edge. One of only 200 original strikings by the Paris mint. Unofficial copies were struck later, with different dies. The original pieces are easily distinguishable, as they have a cross on the crown and the copies have no cross. Extremely rare.
During a world tour in 1881, King Kalakaua was approached by the owner of a nickel mine in New Caledonia about the possibility of striking nickel coinage for the kingdom. Approximately 200 patterns were struck in Paris and forwarded to the king on his return to the islands, Unfortunately, the reverse inscription transposed the two letters in the first word of the state motto (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness), which should read UA instead of AU. Perhaps because of this, the pattern was rejected and no official coinage was issued until 1883. Another serious mistake was the obverse legend having the name SANDWICH ISLANDS instead of HAWAII. Sandwich Islands was the European name for the islands and was the name given to the islands by James Cook in the 1770's. Medcalf notes that many of the 200 original pieces were used as pocket pieces, or were made into jewelry. This accounts for the rarity of Mint State examples.
HID02901242017
Estimate: 8000-10000 USD