akdrv

Hawaii’s Coinage 1847-1883 America’s 50th state since 1959, Hawaii’s motto is Ua Mau Ke Ea O Ka Aina I Ka Pono (The Life of the Land is Perpetuated in Righteousness). This group of Pacific islands became known to the Western world when discovered by Captain James Cook of Great Britain in 1778. The individual island states were then united in 1810 by the powerful King Kamehameha I. As American missionaries and planters began arriving in Hawaii during the 1820s, a gradual decline in the natives’ power and independence developed. By 1893, the Yankees exerted enough influence to expel the old monarchy and establish the Republic of Hawaii. The islands were annexed by the United States in 1898 and declared a U. S. territory two years later. In 1959, Hawaii finally achieved statehood, the only U. S. state not a part of the North American continent. The creation of large plantations and the adoption of a Western style economy beginning about the 1820s created a demand for coined money. At first, this money consisted of coins carried in from a variety of countries having interests in the islands. This source proved unreliable, and coins were in chronically short supply. As dissatisfaction grew, King Kamehameha III (1825-54) set out to rectify this shortage by including a provision for a Hawaiian monetary system in his new legal code of 1846. This system provided for a unit known as the dala, which was based on the American dollar. The dala was divided into 100 keneta, or cents. Several denominations of fractional silver coins were included in this system, as well as a copper piece to be valued at one keneta. Coining of the silver pieces required a two-thirds approval by the Privy Council, and these issues were deferred while the monarchy addressed the more urgent demand for cents. The Minister of Finance was directed to have the latter coined as quickly as possible. Through Royal Agent James Jackson Jarvis, editor of the newspaper Polynesian, a contract was made with the private minting facility of H.M. & E.I. Richards of Attleboro, Massachusetts, familiar to American numismatists as a manufacturer of Hard Times tokens. As prescribed by law, these copper pieces bore on their obverse a facing portrait of Kamehameha III with his name and title KA MOI (the King). Though coined in 1846, all examples were post-dated 1847 to coincide with their anticipated arrival in Hawaii. The reverse of each coin featured two laurel boughs tied at their juncture to form a wreath. Around this wreath was the legend AUPUNI HAWAII (Kingdom of Hawaii). Within it was supposed to appear the denomination HAPA HANELI (Money of 100), but Yankee diesinker Edward Hulseman had mis-spelled it as HAPA HANERI. Adding to this disappointment was the fact that the King’s portrait was essentially unrecognizable. Taken together, these flaws caused the natives to view this new money with disgust, and it was widely rejected. There were rumors that many workers threw the coins in the ocean rather than accept them as just payment for their labor. It was originally anticipated that the 100,000 pieces included in this initial delivery were to be just the first of many, yet the overwhelming rejection of the copper coinage meant that no more would be struck. After 1862, the Hawaiian Treasury ceased disbursing the unwanted cents, and a mere 11,595 pieces remained outstanding at that time. Though these coins ceased to have legal tender status after 1884, examples were still seen in circulation for the simple reason that no other coins of such low value were readily available. Their use came to a complete end only when cents of the United States were imported at the turn of the century. Scholar Walter Breen reported that two obverse dies and six reverse dies have been identified, one of the reverses being known only from trial strikings in pewter. He further added that a number of regular copper impressions remained with the descendants of the Richards firm. These were acquired by dealer Wayte Raymond before 1956 and probably account for most of the surviving Mint State examples. No more coins were struck for the Kingdom of Hawaii until the 1880s. Under the farsighted rule of the cosmopolitan King Kalakaua (1874-91), who sought to bring the islands up to Western standards of development, representatives from various foreign mints were interviewed on the subject of a contract coinage. This move alarmed sugar magnate Claus Spreckels, whose influence in the islands made him a virtual second king. Certain that Hawaii was vital to the interests of both himself and the United States, he persuaded Kalakaua to have the desired silver coins struck by the USA to American standards. The latter provision was a key selling point, as the use of standard USA coin planchets lowered the cost of this coinage. For reasons not specified, the copper keneta was not included in this proposal, and only silver pieces were ordered to a total of one million dala. The master hubs and dies for this coinage were prepared by the United States Mint’s Chief Engraver, Charles Barber. He worked from designs submitted by Spreckels and subsequently modified by Mint Director Horatio C. Burchard. Six proof sets were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in September of 1883, both to test the dies and to provide souvenirs for important figures associated with the occasion. Some 20 more sets were produced in 1884 from the same dies, and these were distributed to various Hawaiian dignitaries. None were offered to the public. The circulating coinage of Kalakau was executed at the San Francisco Mint between November of 1883 and June of 1884, though all pieces bore the earlier date. The denominations struck corresponded to those provided for in the law of 1846, with one exception. The hapawalu, or eighth dollar, was excluded from regular production in favor of the umi (ten) keneta, or dime. This move facilitated the use of standard USA silver planchets. The eighth dollar, however, was included in the 20 proof sets struck at Philadelphia in 1884. These silver coins were far more successful than their copper counterparts of an earlier generation, and they remained in circulation after the American annexation of Hawaii in 1898. They were gradually withdrawn thereafter and replaced with American coins of the regular types. Retired pieces were returned to the USA and melted. As a result, all denominations are fairly scarce in circulated grades and genuinely rare in Mint State. The sole exception is the hapaha, or quarter dollar. Several Uncirculated rolls turned up after World War II, and these coins are highly sought by collectors. SPECIFICATIONS: Keneta or cent 1847: Diameter: 27 millimeters Weight: approximately 9 grams Composition: copper Edge: plain Number coined: 100,000 Net mintage after melting: 11,595+ Umi keneta or dime 1883: Diameter: 17.9 millimeters Weight: 2.5 grams Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: reeded Number coined: 250,000 + 26 proofs Net mintage after melting: 249,921 Hapawalu or eighth dollar 1883: Diameter: 20.6 millimeters Weight: 3.125 grams Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: reeded Number coined: 20 proofs Hapaha or quarter dollar 1883: Diameter: 24.3 millimeters Weight: 6.25 grams Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: reeded Number coined: 500,000 + 26 proofs Net mintage after melting: 242,600 Hapalua or half dollar 1883: Diameter: 30.5 millimeters Weight: 12.5 grams Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: reeded Number coined: 700,000 + 26 proofs Net mintage after melting: 87,755 Akahi dala or dollar 1883: Diameter: 38.1 millimeters Weight: 26.73 grams Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: reeded Number coined: 500,000 + 26 proofs Net mintage after melting: 46,348 History provided with the permission of NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) from their Photo-Proof series.

South African Gold Coins 1892-1900 Until it was dissolved in 1902 following the Anglo-Boer War with Great Britain, the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) produced a rich array of coins and banknotes. Perhaps the most appealing of the coins were the gold pieces, consisting of the een pond (one pound) and half pond issues of 1892-1900. These coins have become favorites with collectors. The ZAR encompassed a region known as the Transvaal. Dissatisfied with British rule of the Cape Colony, the Boers (Dutch Afrikaners) embarked on what became known as the Great Trek of 1835-43, re-establishing themselves in the interior of the country. There they created the ZAR in 1852 and the Orange Free State in 1854. This migration is commemorated with the image of a Voortrekker wagon, which appears on many South African coins including the one-pound and half-pound pieces of 1892-1900. The economy of the ZAR was primarily agricultural until the discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold during the 1880s prompted a flood of prospectors and speculative investment. Despite a series of boom and bust cycles, the general trend was toward increasing prosperity. So much wealth required a central banking system, and De Nationale Bank der Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek was opened by the Republic’s President Paul Kruger in 1891. The bank prospered, and the passage of a Mint Act that same year provided for a coinage of gold, silver and bronze modeled after that of Great Britain. The State Mint and National Bank shared a structure on Church Square in Pretoria. Included in the new coinage were two gold pieces. The one-pound and half-pound coins were similar in values and specifications to the English sovereign and half sovereign, respectively. Because the ZAR did not have a monarch, these particular titles were not used. Instead, the coins were referred to by their value alone, and they possessed unlimited legal tender status within the ZAR. Though this status was not recognized elsewhere, the intrinsic value of these coins permitted them to circulate freely in other parts of South Africa. President Kruger’s portrait appeared on each coin’s obverse, with the country’s name in Afrikans inscribed in an arc around the periphery. The reverse of the pound and half pound coins displayed the arms of the ZAR, with the coin’s value and the date of coinage arranged in an arc above. The Dutch motto Eeedragt Maakt Magt (Union makes strength) is incorporated into the arms. Facing an upcoming election and wanting the new coins in circulation to enhance his prestige, President Kruger didn’t wait for the Pretoria Mint to be completed. Instead, he contracted to have the first issue of new ZAR coins (dated 1892) struck at the Imperial German Mint in Berlin. This proved a mistake, as the dies were cut with two glaring mistakes that insulted the populace and proved quite embarrassing to Kruger and the National Bank. Designer Otto Schultz, following a common practice, placed his initials ‘OS’ at the truncation of Kruger’s bust. Unfortunately, os is the Afrikans word for ‘ox,’ and new dies had to be hastily prepared omitting the initials. Even more egregious was the incorrect depiction of the Voortrekker wagon in which so many families had come to their new home. This kind of vehicle traditionally had a single hitching shaft protruding from its front, and its rear wheels were much larger than the front ones. Schultz instead depicted it with a double shaft and wheels of equal size throughout. 10,000 half-pound coins were struck and 16,000 of the one-pound pieces. In addition, some 20-25 proofs of the half-pound were produced, while just 12-15 one-pound proofs were coined. These proofs were included in presentation sets and were probably distributed to figures who played some role in the creation of the Mint and its coinage. Reacting quickly, Kruger had the embarrassing error coins withdrawn and replaced with another issue of the same date but with the errors corrected. As people do with any coins which they believe will become rare, they hoarded the initialed, double-shafted coins in large numbers. This effectively ended their circulation, but it also made them more available to collectors of today than they might otherwise be. Both varieties of the pound and half pound were coined, but the number produced is unrecorded. The single-shaft variety is much more rare in each instance; in the case of the half pound, it’s unique. Also unknown is the quantity of half-pound coins struck in 1893, and this issue is quite scarce. Some 62,000 one-pound pieces were issued for 1893, and this coin is not nearly as rare as its little brother. The half-pound coins of the Kruger type were struck regularly from 1894 through 1897. Their mintages ranged from a low of 39,000 in 1894 to a high of 135,000 the following year. None are especially rare, yet they command respectable premiums in Mint State and the higher circulated grades. All are quite popular with collectors. The one-pound issues parallel the progression of the half-pound coins, with mintages ranging from a low of 62,000 in 1893 to a high of 788,000 for 1900. None of these issues is particularly scarce, but the ones dated 1893 through 1896 command higher premiums than the later dates. All are quite valued by collectors in Mint State and the higher circulated grades. The only date lacking for the one-pound series from 1892 through 1900 is 1899. The Mint did not produce coins from January 1, 1898 through September 30, 1899. It was reopened at that time to strike pound coins needed for the war against Great Britain, which had broken out over continued Boer frustration with British policies. The dies dated 1899 were intercepted by the British en route to the Mint, so there was no option but to use ones dated 1898. A normal output (137,000) of one-pound coins was produced, but some 130 pieces were then counter-stamped below Kruger’s bust with the numerals ‘99’ to correctly identify their year of manufacture. Why so few were counter-stamped and why the Mint bothered to do this at all is still unclear; perhaps these pieces were reserved for assaying purposes. They’re very rare today, and dangerous counterfeits exist. A unique example is stamped with a single numeral ‘9’ in the same location. The final issue of pound coins was produced in the early months of 1900 from dies bearing that date (these managed to get through from Berlin). Before Pretoria fell to the British on June 5, the ZAR’s capital was temporarily relocated to Middelburg, and all of the gold and silver stored in Pretoria was carried away to safety. Wartime conditions prevented further coinage of the regular Kruger type of pound and half pound, and this series ended in 1900. SPECIFICATIONS: Half pound: Diameter: 19 millimeters Weight: 3.994 grams Composition: .916 gold, .084 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .1176 ounce pure gold One pound: Diameter: 22 millimeters Weight: 7.988 grams Composition: .916 gold, .084 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight: .2353 ounce pure gold History provided with the permission of NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) from their Photo-Proof series.

eBay, CoinPeople, local coin shows.

Too bad my Schleswig Holstein uniform is at the cleaners this week.

Done.

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Very interesting note. Thanks for sharing the scan. Here is what Schleswig-Holstein looked like: http://www.militaria-house.com/linienschif...g-holstein.html

Were they there yesterday? What topics were they?

When the icon is solid it means that there are unread posts in that forum. When it's faded out it means that there is nothing new. Sometimes the icon stays on for a short time after you visited a forum. I use "View New Posts" link on top of the page instead of relying on icons.

Welcome to CoinPeople Ramona!

You need to include "http://" part with a link to make it clickable. http://www.coinpeople.com will be converted www.coinpeople.com will not

IPB means Invision Power Board. It's the forum software that we use. This icon is used in the defualt skin/theme, other skins/themes use different icons.

There is also ADDREPLY button at the top of the topic.

Response from the hosting provider. I will also be upgrading our hosting package soon to accomodate the load. ============================================= Hello, We are currently working on resolving the server load issues. I am sorry for the inconvenience, but we do hope to have this resolved soon. Thank you, System Administrator Invision Power Services

I don't think it depends on your skin selection. When it's slow it's slow.

I noticed it too. It happens at random times during the day. I'm sending a report to the hosting provider.

Tolar

It would be interesting to see what it looks like.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4713754

Yes, it before the meltdown.

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Why is Franklin Mint making Russian coins?

The seller is in Bulgaria. Without blanket stereotyping I'd say that what SM89 suspects is a very likely scenario. I was curious if this was a well known note or something of that nature. Thanks for your comments guys.

Thanks Art. This happened many moons ago. I was just transferring the whole history of OC news.

I received the following offer through BNB. I'm not planning to buy it, I'm just curious if the price is reasonable.