"1883" Hawaiian Fantasy Strike - Eighth Dollar, Obverse Hub Impression

Coin Details

Description

This obverse hub impression of the Hawaiian 1/8 Dollar (hapawalu) denomination is a uniface fantasy strike produced circa 1900, showing only the obverse design from the original hub used to create coinage dies. Hub impressions are created by pressing a hub (the master tool used to create working dies) into a blank planchet, producing a positive impression of one side of the coin design. The hapawalu (1/8 dollar or 12-1/2 cents) was a denomination included in the original proposals for Hawaiian coinage but ultimately not produced for circulation. The denomination derives from the Hawaiian word for the fractional value, reflecting the Kingdom's effort to create a uniquely Hawaiian monetary vocabulary. The San Francisco Mint prepared hubs for this denomination during the development of the 1883 coinage, but the hapawalu was dropped from the final production program. These hub impressions were produced around 1900, when the original Mint tooling became available to private parties after Hawaii's annexation. They serve as important physical records of the die-making process and document denominations that never reached production.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Hub impressions from the Hawaiian coinage program are seldom encountered, with approximately 10-30 examples of each type surviving. PCGS #511335.

Cross References

PCGS #511335; Medcalf-Russell