A Most Unusual 1883 Hawaiian Dollar

We all have our own numismatic points of reference. And that is often shaped by the coins we seek and how we go about purchasing them. Some coins in certain states of preservation can just be significantly more elusive than others even though the coins in question may not be rare. Most collectors have budgets and collecting priorities- that's just how it is.

There are those moments when one has to just pull the trigger based on all these competing factors and buy a coin with the belief that this just might be as good as it gets. While this intro fits the other 1883 Dollar I have yet to post, the question still remains haunting to a coin that exhibits something you have never seen or may never see again. This Dollar has a large P G engraving which was likely done relatively early. This is not a recognized countermark- It could be a countermark that was contemplated by the Provisional Government after the Monarchy was basically overthrown. There is no solid evidence to support that this was some type of pattern or plan to countermark Hawaiian coinage. The best evidence is merely circumstantial in that Hawaiian Postage stamps did have a Provisional Government overprint on them. This coin was graded EF details by our host which seems reasonable; however, I would have preferred a notation of unknown countermark instead of damage. And while a countermark can obviously be considered damage, it is not always damage that should have a negative inference.

In any event, I think this coin has a sharp original look... even with a P G that creates a truly haunting question for which there will likely never be a satisfying answer.