Hawaiian Coinage (1847-2018)

About This Series

Spanning Hawaii's transformation from independent kingdom to American state, Hawaiian numismatics encompasses official coinage, plantation tokens, and modern commemoratives. The 1847 Kingdom of Hawaii cent — struck in copper by Scoville Manufacturing of Massachusetts — bears King Kamehameha III's portrait and is the earliest Hawaiian coinage. The most significant series is the 1883 Kalakaua coinage, authorized by King David Kalakaua and struck at San Francisco in .900 fine silver: dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars constituting the only official Hawaiian silver coinage. Plantation tokens, issued by sugar estates in denominations from 6-1/4 cents to one dollar in brass, copper, or aluminum, circulated within plantation economies and document the agricultural labor system dominating Hawaiian commerce. The 1883 dollar, with a mintage of 500,000 but extensive melting, is the key issue commanding strong premiums in higher grades as both a numismatic prize and icon of Hawaiian sovereignty. The series appeals to collectors of U.S. coins, world coins, and Hawaiian history alike.