1883 Hawaiian Quarter

Coin Details

Auction Record

$29,900 VF30 04-26-2006 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1883 Hawaiian Quarter, called Hapaha in the Hawaiian language, is one of four silver denominations commissioned by King David Kalakaua I and struck at the United States Mint facility in San Francisco. Designed by Charles E. Barber, the quarter was produced alongside the dime, half dollar, and dollar to create a complete circulating silver coinage for the Kingdom of Hawaii — a direct assertion of national sovereignty through the medium of money. The obverse features the same masterful portrait of Kalakaua used across the series, rendered with particular crispness on the quarter’s 24.3mm planchet. The king faces right in military dress, his chest decorated with the royal orders and honors he had accumulated through diplomatic relationships with foreign powers. Barber’s engraving captures both the dignity of office and the personal charisma for which Kalakaua was renowned — he was known internationally as "The Merrie Monarch" for his patronage of Hawaiian arts, music, and cultural traditions. The reverse bears the Hawaiian royal coat of arms in the same configuration as the other denominations, with the quartered shield, supporting figures, and the kingdom’s motto. The denomination "HAPAHA" and the fractional value identify the coin’s role in everyday commerce. With a mintage of 500,000 pieces, the quarter had the second-highest production of the series, reflecting the practical importance of this denomination in daily transactions. Hawaiian merchants and their customers would have used the hapaha for a wide range of purchases in the island economy, from provisions at Honolulu’s markets to goods at plantation stores across the islands. The Hawaiian quarter circulated alongside its American counterpart until the 1903 demonetization, after which most surviving examples were either saved by collectors, melted for their silver content, or absorbed into general American silver coin circulation where they occasionally surfaced for decades afterward.

Rarity Notes

Available in circulated grades. Mintage 500,000. Moderately scarce in mint state. Well-struck examples with full detail on the coat of arms are particularly valued.

Cross References

Medcalf-Russell 2CS-5; KM-5; PCGS #10987; NGC #50020