US Hawaii (King Kalakaua) 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 Dollar (Fakes are possible) 1883

The history of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands dates back at least 1000 years, probably more. A few hundred years ago, the predominently Polynesian culture was ruled by a succession of kings and queens starting with the great King Kamehameha I in 1795. Strong Western influence started in 1778 with the discovery of the islands by British explorer James Cook. All efforts to remain sovereign ended in 1893, when Queen Liliʻuokalani was arrested by a group of businessmen and the US military. Ultimately, Hawaii was annexed as a US territory in 1898 and became a State in 1959.

King Kalakaua (1874 to 1891) issued a series of coins including 5 cents, 10 cents, 1/8 dollar, 1/4 dollar, 1/2 dollar, and dollar in 1883. This page does not apply to the 5 and 10 cent coins. You can find the denomination of the dollars on the reverse side (the side with the shield) using 1/8 D, 1/4 D, 1/2 D, and 1 D annotations. Some of these coins were issued in silver, others were issued in copper. All genuine coins are valuable.

If you have a genuine coin, you will be pleased with these values. Here is a listing of approximate values from the coin catalogs. The values below apply to genuine silver coins; genuine copper coins generally sell over $10000.

1/8 DOLLAR
worn: $40 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $80
well preserved: $150
fully uncirculated: $350

1/4 DOLLAR
worn: $40 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $250
fully uncirculated: $450


1/2 DOLLAR
worn: $100 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $200
well preserved: $400
fully uncirculated: $800

1 DOLLAR
worn: $50 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $300
fully uncirculated: $800

Since this coin is so valuable, and since modern tourists flood the islands every year, there is strong pressure to produce counterfeit coins. Some counterfeits are of superb quality, produced by well-financed thieves. Most are low quality and easily distinguished from genuine coins. If you think you have a genuine coin, you would do well to have it authenticated, graded, and encapsulated by one of these services: PCGS, NGC, ICG, ANACS. Look them up on the Internet. Do not use other services.

The image below shows a real silver coin next to a fake copper coin. Most everyone can see the marked differences between the two. Genuine copper coins exist, but this one is a counterfeit.

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