| Description: |
A well-struck and highly lustrous example of this popular issue. Struck at the San
Francisco Mint (but without an S mintmark) through an arrangement masterminded by sugar
magnate Claus Spreckels, this was part of an overall program of precisely $1 million in
face value of silver coins. These circulated extensively and effectively in the Hawaiian
Islands, but after they became a United States possession in 1898, they were called in,
and by 1910 most had been melted. As luck would have it quite a few of the quarter dollar
denomination were saved, with the occasional small cache or group of a few dozen pieces
being seen on the numismatic market as recently as the 1950s. However, the dimes, half
dollars, and dollars were never plentiful, and even years ago a single high-grade piece
with good eye appeal was unusual. |
