Auction April 17, 2026
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NEW YORK, NY – Doyle held a successful auction of Coins, Stamps, Bank Notes & Collectibles on April 17, 2026 that delivered strong results amid international bidding. Collectors and enthusiasts vied for a wide range of United States and World numismatic rarities from collections in the New York area and other regions of the country.
1868 5 Franc Gold Essai
Highlighting the sale was a French numismatic rarity—a near-unique 5 franc gold essai from 1868 that sailed past its $10,000-20,000 estimate to realize $33,275 amid trans-Atlantic bidding. The essai, or test coin, was part of a small group of similar pieces produced at the Paris Mint in 1868. They are comparable to pattern coins used to evaluate new designs, compositions, and minting techniques. Like pattern coins, essais are often extremely rare and highly collectible. This example is cataloged as Maz-1629, named for Jean Mazard (1900–1984), a French jurist and numismatist whose works on 18th, 19th and 20th century French coinage include a reference on essais. The current example is the only Maz-1629 reported in PCGS’ Population Report, and NGC’s Census also reports a single example.
1900 Hawaii Postal System
Also noteworthy was a fascinating group of ephemera and correspondence related to the transition from an independent Hawaiian postal system to a United States territorial one in 1900. The lot was anchored by two postal money orders—the last issued under the Hawaiian Republic on June 13 and the first issued under the new U.S. administration on June 14. This postal rarity of the 50th state more than doubled its $5,000-10,000, selling for $20,570.
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
