Lot 1811
1881 Hawaiian Pattern Five Cents. . Medcalf-Russell 2CN-1. PCGS graded MS-65 CAC Approved. In a new secure plus holder. Pop 2; 2 finer in 66. Light even toning. A heart-stopping gem of the premium quality one likes to see for this actively collected series from America’s 50th State. This is the only state in the Union that preceded Statehood as a Kingdom, then a Republic, and finally a Territory. The low census at this grade level indicates quite strongly just how rare these are in Gem quality! A beaming gem rolling in unbeatable subdued luster characteristic of the hard nickel alloy, yet luster that emits boldly beneath bold highlights. Possessed of a much better-quality strike than is found on some others in lesser grade, all of the King’s hair curls and beard detail show plainly, all of the accompanying detail on the garter, garter clasp, and crown similarly impressive.
In 1881, the King of Hawaii became the first Monarch in history to travel around the world. Earlier key figures like Alexander the Great and the Emperor Hadrian in the ancient world traveled around their extensive domains, but neither could have imagined being a globe-trotter, which is what Kalakaua was! Among the nations he visited in his East to West circumnavigation were the United States (going first to San Francisco), Japan, China, India, Egypt, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, and Great Britain and the United States (for a second visit). He had several objectives on this tour, one of the main ones being to encourage immigration to Hawaii, which was in an agricultural stage of development. The local population was too small to support the sugar and pineapple planters, and so migrant workers were the obvious choice, especially for Hawaii’s burgeoning sugar cane industry.
When in Paris, the owner of a New Caledonia nickel mine approached Kalakaua for a nickel contract. As encouragement, the miner had struck some sample German-silver five kenata patterns using nickel from his mine. The die engraver made a slight error when he misspelled the first word of Hawaii’s national motto "UA MAU KE EA O KA AINA I KA PONO" This motto overlaps the garter on the reverse of the coin and on top of which is a crown decorated with a small cross. (The rarity of the 1881 patterns, according to Medcalf, led to a circa-1900 Canadian copy, identified by a small ball atop the crown in place of the cross) (PCGS # 10975) .
Estimated Value $25,000 - 30,000.
The Forsythe Collection.
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