1879 Hawaiian Plantation Token - T. Hobron, 25 Cents

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,550 XF45BN 10-13-2023 eBay

Description

The Thomas H. Hobron quarter-dollar token is the highest known denomination in the Hobron series and one of the more substantial Hawaiian merchant tokens of the Kingdom period. Struck in copper at 25mm diameter, this piece approximates the size and heft of a United States quarter dollar, making it immediately recognizable in commerce. Hobron issued this alongside his smaller 12.5-cent tokens as part of a coordinated scrip system for his Honolulu mercantile business. A quarter-dollar's purchasing power in 1879 Hawaii was considerable, sufficient to buy several pounds of rice, a quantity of salt fish, or other staple provisions. The token's copper composition gave it a distinctive reddish-brown appearance that differentiated it from circulating silver Hawaiian coinage. Hobron's decision to issue tokens in 1879 predates the official Hawaiian coinage of 1883 by four years, during a period when small-denomination coinage was chronically scarce in the islands. Foreign coins from the United States, Mexico, Chile, and various Asian nations all circulated alongside Hawaiian government issues, and merchant tokens like Hobron's helped fill gaps in the available currency.

Rarity Notes

Rare. The quarter denomination is the scarcest of the Hobron token series. Fewer than two dozen examples exist across all grades.

Cross References

PCGS #600545; NGC #15511; Medcalf-Russell Hawaiian Money; Rulau-Fuld Hawaii listings