|
Kingdom of Hawaii. Liliʻuokalani. 1891-1893. Proof Pattern AR Akahi Dala – Dollar (38mm, 25.05 g, 12h). By John H. Pinches, for Reginald Huth. Dated 1891 (18 93 in stars). LILIVOCALANIA · DEI · GRATIA, crowned bust left / HAWAIARVM REGINA 1891 ✭ AKAHI DALA ✭, globe with view of the Hawaiian Islands. Medcalf & Russell 2MH-1; KM (X) M1. Light iridescent toning over mirror-like surfaces. In PCGS encapsulation 49695747, graded PR 63 Deep Cameo. Extremely rare – only 50 struck.
From the Gerald F. Borrmann (Northern California Gentleman) Collection.
Liliʻuokalani took the throne following the death of her brother, Kalākaua. The new queen attempted to win back the power abrogated by her brother in 1887 by promulgating a new constitution. Members of her cabinet opposed the constitution, recognizing that it would inevitably lead to unrest and possibly violence with the anti-monarchists. They were soon proven correct.
Events unfolded rapidly in January 1893. The anti-monarchists formed the Committee of Safety with the goal of ousting the queen and annexing the islands to the United States. On 16 January, the government learned of their plot and placed the kingdom under martial law. However, American diplomat John Stevens, a strong supporter of the Committee’s annexation plan, ordered American marines from the USS Boston to take up strategic positions around the U. S. Consulate and Legation, providing a check to the royalist forces.
The following day, a wagon carrying weapons to the Committee was stopped by native Hawaiian policeman Lealoha. Committee supporters opened fire, killing the policeman. Fearing a government reprisal, the anti-monarchists acted fast, mustering a group of non-native men, approaching the palace, and issuing an ultimatum to Liliʻuokalani: abdicate or face their guns. The queen had no army, no support from the local police, and no equivalent royalist militia. In her own words, “since the troops of the United States had been landed to support the revolutionists, by the order of the American minister, it would be impossible for us to make any resistance.” To prevent further bloodshed, Liliʻuokalani, the first queen and the last monarch of Hawaii, abdicated her throne.
The rebels quickly set up an interim government while awaiting the realization of their ultimate goal of American annexation. But President Cleveland opposed this action, stating before Congress that “the military demonstration upon the soil of Honolulu was of itself an act of war.” The interim government reorganized itself into the Republic of Hawaii and awaited a change in American sentiment, which came with the election of William McKinley in 1897. On 12 August 1898, Hawaii was formally annexed to the United States.
This silver pattern is from a fascinating series of fantasies commissioned by the British collector Reginald Huth, primarily featuring crown-sized coins for various reigning queens. Fantasy patterns for Ranavalona III of Madagasar, Lili’uokalani and Ka’iulani of Hawaii, Isabel II of Spain, and Queen Victoria were struck by the Pinches of London. In several cases, these are the only “coins” bearing that monarch’s portrait, and all are highly sought after by modern collectors.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 127 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 17-18 September 2024. This lot is in Session Three, which will begin 18 September at 9 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
We recognize that our users may have various Internet Browsers and Operating Systems. We like our visitors to have the best possible experience when using our bidding platform. However, we do recognize that it is impossible to develop applications that work identically, efficiently and effectively on all web browsers. The CNG bidding platform supports the latest stable major version and stable previous version of Chrome and Firefox.
|
