 Hawaii

The first stamps were issued by Hawaii in 1851 – stamps of simple local design and print showing the denomination in a frame. This first issue was meant for mail to the United States after a regular mail service had been established between Hawaii and San Francisco in 1849. As they are found mainly on mail from missionaries, they are known as the ‘Hawaiian Missionaries’. The stamps from this first issue are rare and have catalog values in the very high range. More issues of local design and print were issued in 1859 and 1865 for inter island mail. Further issues of Hawaii were printed in the United States – from 1871 by the American Bank Note Co. in New York. The designs show – almost exclusively – portraits of members of the royal family. In 1893, the provisional government issued available stamps with the overprint ‘Provisional Government’. The republican government issued a set of stamps in 1894 – inscribed ‘Hawaii’. An additional value was issued the same year – now inscribed ‘Republic of Hawaii’. The last stamps for Hawaii were issued in 1899 under United States administration. The stamps of Hawaii were superseded by those of the United States in 1900. [source: StampWorldHistory]