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1883 Hawaii Kalakaua coins: not the HAWAII overprint note
The Kingdom of Hawaii struck silver dimes, quarters, halves, and dollars in 1883 at the San Francisco Mint, with King Kalakaua. They are coins. The WWII HAWAII overprint is a dollar bill. Do not mix the two.
In 1883 the Kingdom of Hawaii had silver coins struck at the San Francisco Mint: a dime, a quarter, a half dollar, and a dollar, with King Kalakaua I. They say Hawaiian Islands. They are .900 silver, sized like US coins of the time.
That is not the HAWAII overprint note from 1942–1944. One is a kingdom coin. One is a wartime US dollar with extra ink. People use the word Hawaii for both.
What a shop does
Circulated 1883 quarters and halves are collected. They are not as common as a Barber quarter, so they usually beat melt. Dollars more so. Problem-free originals do better than cleaned ones. Don’t clean.
Restrikes, souvenirs, and later “Hawaii” medals exist. If it does not match the 1883 Kalakaua types, it may be a medal, not a coin.
How they fit the drawer
Same envelope as US-Philippines and Canal Zone leftovers: American-connected silver from a place that is now a state or was a territory. Sort silver from paper. World coins. 90% silver.
Continue in the coin and money library. Related visitor guides: for shop visitors.
Who Kalakaua was
David Kalakaua was king of Hawaii. The 1883 coins were a sovereignty statement as much as a circulating issue. The US overthrew the monarchy a decade later. The coins stayed in pockets and drawers. They were never a US territorial series like US-Philippines.
Mintage was limited compared with Barbers. That is why even a worn quarter usually beats a Barber quarter of the same grade.
People also ask
Did the US Mint make them? Yes — San Francisco, 1883, for the Kingdom.
Is there an 1883 Hawaii dime? Yes. Also 25¢, 50¢, and $1.
Is this the same as a HAWAII stamp on a dollar bill? No.