"1883" Hawaiian Fantasy Strike - Quarter Dollar, Reverse Hub Impression

Coin Details

Description

This reverse hub impression of the Hawaiian 1/4 Dollar (hapaha) shows the reverse design from the original hub, featuring the Hawaiian coat of arms. The reverse design of the 1883 Hawaiian coinage, shared across all four denominations with variations in size and denomination marking, displays the royal coat of arms with its quartered shield, crown, and motto UA MAU KE EA O KA AINA I KA PONO (The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness). This motto, attributed to King Kamehameha III upon the restoration of Hawaiian sovereignty after a brief British occupation in 1843, remains the state motto of Hawaii to this day. Its inclusion on the 1883 coinage was a powerful assertion of Hawaiian national identity and sovereignty. The hub impression reveals the reverse design at its sharpest and most detailed, directly from the master tool. Comparison with struck coins can reveal how much detail was lost in the transfer from hub to die to coin, providing valuable information about the technical quality of the Hawaiian coinage production process at the San Francisco Mint.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Reverse hub impressions are equally scarce as their obverse counterparts. PCGS #511340.

Cross References

PCGS #511340; Medcalf-Russell