Samuel Mills Damon was a historical figure of great importance in
Hawaii. He rose to become a partner of the Bank of Bishop & Company and
concurrently Minister of Finance during the reign of King Kalakaua
beginning in 1884, a role he retained intermittently through 1900. His
position afforded him access and resource to amass an impressive and
diverse coin collection, included pioneer gold, early American coins,
and a wide array of foreign coins. The quality of his Hawaiian material
is unsurpassed. He fell ill in 1914, and his collecting interest abated.
Built from the 1870's, the S. M. Damon Collection provides a unique and
fascinating glimpse into numismatics at the tale end of the nineteenth
century.
After resting intact for over 90 years, the Estate of Mr. Damon elected
to offer these coins for sale. Doyle New York will auction the Samuel
Mills Damon collection on March 23, 2006. NGC, NCS, and PMG were honored
by being selected to grade and certify this collection.
