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July 18th 2005. 125th Anniversary of the Kingdom of Hawai'i Bank Notes (Hawaiian Money Part II in a series).
Four stamps, a minisheet and a booklet were issued on July 18th 2005 celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Kingdom of Hawai'i Bank Notes. Money in Hawai'i has a very colorful history and this is the second in a series of stamps depicting this theme.
Hawaiian paper money began with scrip. The earliest known scrip was printed for Ladd & Company, a sugar plantation established in 1835 near Koloa on the island of Kaua'i. The original scrip was small and crudely printed in Honolulu on old amateur theater tickets. It came in 3 denominations - Hapawalu (12.5 cents), Hapaha (25 cents) and Hapalua (50 cents). In 1839, a much improved scrip was printed by the Boston Bank Note Company in Boston, Massachusetts. It was in two denominations, $3 and $5. This scrip was in circulation for about 5 years until November 1844, when the plantation went bankrupt. This was followed by several other scrip issues.
In 1859, in the reign of King Kamehameha IV, the first "Certificate of Deposit" was issued by the Kingdom of Hawai'i. It was very similar to a regular check and did not have the appearance of a bank note.
In the reign of King Kalakaua, several banknotes, or more correctly "Certificates of Deposit" were issued by the Kingdom of Hawai'i, Department of Finance in 1879-1880. These were very colorful banknotes which were printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York (ABNC) in 5 denominations - $10, $20, $50, $100 and $500. However, with the exception of the $500 note, they mostly depicted generic scenes from South America (the ABNC printed bank notes for several countries there). They were backed 100% by deposits of silver coins. The rear of the notes depict the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
The $2 stamp (above top left) pays for extra charges, such as additional weight. It shows the $10 bank note issued in 1879-1880. The note depicts a sailing ship, a cowboy roping steer and a railroad locomotive.
The $3 stamp (above top right) pays for the difference between the Overnight rate and the Same Day rate. It shows the $20 bank note issued in 1879-1880. The note depicts a girl holding puppies, a paddle steamship, a woman, a railroad locomotive and a ship's anchor.
The $5 stamp (above lower left) prepays the Overnight rate. It shows the $50 bank note issued in 1879-1880. The note depicts a ram, a woman in a garden holding a bird and a portrait of a female.
The $8 stamp (above lower right) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows the $100 bank note issued in 1879-1880. The note depicts a horse, a paddle steamship, a globe, a railroad locomotive and a cow.
All four stamps are imperforate, so as to more closely resemble actual bank notes.
The $8 Minisheet (above) prepays the Same Day rate. It shows the $500 bank note issued in 1879-1880. The note depicts a portrait of King Kalakaua, a steam/sailboat, a railroad locomotive, a sailing ship and a worker gathering sugar cane. Only 200 were originally printed - none survive. Only one proof exists today.
A Booklet consisting of 4 panes containing 2 x $2, 2 x $3, 2 x $5 and 2 x $8 stamps was also issued. Each pane consists of 2 stamps and has a white margin all around. "© 2005 Hawai'i Post" is printed vertically on the lower right side margin & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. is printed on the bottom margin of each pane. The booklet cover is of white card stock and is stapled twice at the left side. The booklet cover shows the bank notes of this issue.The back cover explains the postage rates of Hawai'i Post.
The postmark for this issue (above) shows the number "50"which is from the upper left and right hand corners of the $50 bank note on the $3 stamp.
WE ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS ON ALL ORDERS
Technical details of the stamps:
Colors: $2, $3, $5 & $8 stamps - Multicolored
Size: Stamps 82mm x 40mm. Minisheet 94mm x 60mm.
Stamps sheet size: 12 (2 across, 6 down).
Perforation: Stamps and minisheet are all imperforate.
Stamp design: Enelani.
Layout & Pre-press: Enelani.
Printer: Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i.
Printing Method: 4-color (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) printing process.
Sheet margin markings: HAWAI'I POST (top middle), "Traffic Light" showing 4 colors used in printing (lower left side), © 2005 Hawai'i Post (lower right side) & Hawai'i Security Printers, Honolulu, Hawai'i. (bottom middle)
Paper: GPA coated white stock with water-activated gum on the back.
Return to list of stamp issues
For details on upcoming stamp issues click here