US Hawaii (King Kalakaua) 10 Cents One Dime 1883

US influence in Hawaii did not start until 1900, with admission into the Union in 1959. Before then the Polynesian culture of Hawaii was ruled by a succession of kings and queens starting with Kamehameha I in 1795. British influence began in 1778 with the discovery of the islands by James Cook.

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 applies only to the 10 cent coins. All genuine coins are valuable.

worn: $45 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $100
well preserved: $250
fully uncirculated: $800

Requester Joanne sent us a picture of her 1883 Hawaii dime. You can see that it is in pretty rough shape compared to the one in our main picture (upper left).

Joanne's coin is probably genuine, but the surfaces have been corroded and marred over the years and there is a good deal of wear. There is a strong possibility that the coin has been cleaned with harsh chemicals. All these factors work against the value of Joanne's coin. She could probably sell it to a collector for $15 or so, and to a coin dealer for $5.
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