Commems Collection Classic: 1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial - Coolidge Coin

I was flipping through an old Heritage Auctions auction catalog yesterday, and came across a lot whose story fits nicely with the three brief posts about the 1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial Half Dollar I recently posted. So, my trilogy gets a postscript!

VIP presentation pieces of the 1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial Half Dollar were part of the Captain Cook Sesquicentennial Commission's distribution plan, essentially from the beginning. From the Commission's "Final Report":

"Of the ten thousand issue of coins minted, fifty were "sandblast proof" coins. The Commission prepared a list of fifty persons and institutions to whom the "proof" coins were presented in the name of the Territory of Hawaii."

The VIP recipients of the sandblast proof coins included King George V of England (Coin #22), the ninth Earl of Sandwich (#23; a nod to the original name of the islands - Sandwich Islands - so named by Captain Cook in honor of his lead patron, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich and First Lord of the Admiralty (i.e., Head of English Navy)), Territory of Hawaii Governor Wallace Farrington (#9) and US President Calvin Coolidge (#21).

The Commission also presented one of the special proof coins to the Captain James Cook Collection of the Archives of Hawaii (Coin #14), the Hawaiian Historical Society (#11), the British Museum (#20), the American Numismatic Society (#47), the US Treasury Department via Secretary Andrew Mellon (#24) and multiple members of the Commission.

Note: The Commission also set aside 200 strikes of the half dollar for presentation to those who supported/provided services to the Commission or celebration events.

With just 50 examples, sandblast proof Hawaiian half dollars are obviously rare. When the fact that many reside in protected collections (e.g., museums, historical societies, etc.) and thus will likely never come to market is considered, acquiring one becomes even more of a challenge - and an expensive one!

The 2002 Orlando, FL Signature Auction by Heritage Auctions (January 12, 2002) featured the Coolidge piece. It was encapsulated in a PCGS Proof 64 holder.

The description of the lot listed the coin's previous appearances at auction, and, more importantly IMO, stated that the lot included a letter from John Coolidge (Calvin's son) attesting to the coin's provenance along with the coin's original black plastic presentation holder that identified the coin as #21 of 50.

1928 Hawaiian (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial Half Dollar - President Coolidge Coin


The lot certainly attracted the attention of well-heeled collectors, and sold for $33,350 (including the Buyer's Premium of 15%) - a Hammer Price of $29,000.

The coin was offered again by Heritage as part of its January 2021 FUN Signature Auction. In that auction, the coin sold for $50,000 - an increase of $15,650 / 49.9%.

While it certainly would be nice to have one in my collection, I'm not currently making space for one.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including a number about the 1928 Hawaiian, see: Commems Collection.