1847 Hawaiian Cents

About This Coin

Predating the more famous 1883 Hawaiian silver coinage by thirty-six years, the 1847 Hawaiian Cents represent the earliest coinage produced specifically for the Kingdom of Hawaii. Struck at a private mint in Attleboro, Massachusetts with mintage of 100,000, weighing 10.89 grams at 27 mm with plain edge, these coins feature King Kamehameha III on the obverse and HAPA HANERI (Hawaiian for "one hundredth") on the reverse. A notable result of $18,000 in MS64 at Heritage Auctions confirms strong demand for well-preserved examples. Kamehameha III had transformed Hawaii from absolute monarchy to constitutional governance with the Constitution of 1840. The 1847 cents circulated during rapid Western influence and commercial expansion, when American missionaries, merchants, and whalers were reshaping the kingdom. The choice of an American private mint reflects Hawaii's growing U.S. commercial ties, foreshadowing annexation five decades later. These hold dual appeal for collectors of Hawaiian numismatics and American territorial issues, documenting the monetary sovereignty of an independent Pacific kingdom.