Hawaii overprint note
| (United States) | |
|---|---|
| Value | $1, $5, $10, $20 |
| Years of printing | 1942 – 1944 |
| Nature of rarity | Emergency Issue |
| Estimated value | US$2 - $1,300 |
| Obverse | |
 | |
A Hawaii overprint note is one of a series of banknotes (one silver certificate and three Federal Reserve Notes) issued during World War II as an emergency issue after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The intent of the overprints was to easily distinguish United States dollars captured by the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in the event of an invasion of Hawaii and render the notes worthless. Although a sizeable number of the notes were recalled and destroyed after the end of World War II, many escaped destruction and exist as collectibles of numismatic interest in the present day.
Issue
After the
On June 25, 1942, new overprinted notes were first issued. Series 1935A $1 silver certificate, Series 1934 $5 and $20 Federal Reserve Notes, and Series 1934A $5, $10, and $20 Federal Reserve Notes from the
| HAWAII Overprint Notes | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Value | Dimensions | Main Color | Description | Date of | Catalog # | |||||
| Obverse/Reverse | Obverse | Reverse | Watermark | printing | issue | withdrawal | |||||
|
$1 silver certificate | 6.140 in × 2.610 in (155.956 mm × 66.294 mm) | Green; Black | George Washington | Great Seal of the United States | None | June 25, 1942 | April, 1946 | Friedberg F-2300 Friedberg F-2300*[6] | ||
|
$5 Federal Reserve Note | 6.140 in × 2.610 in (155.956 mm × 66.294 mm) | Green; Black | Abraham Lincoln | Lincoln Memorial | None | June 25, 1942 | April, 1946 | Friedberg F-2301 Friedberg F-2301* Friedberg F-2302 Friedberg F-2302*[7] | ||
|
$10 Federal Reserve Note | 6.140 in × 2.610 in (155.956 mm × 66.294 mm) | Green; Black | Alexander Hamilton | US Treasury Building | None | June 25, 1942 | April, 1946 | Friedberg F-2303 Friedberg F-2303*[8] | ||
|
|
$20 Federal Reserve Note | 6.140 in × 2.610 in (155.956 mm × 66.294 mm) | Green; Black | Andrew Jackson | White House | None | June 25, 1942 | April, 1946 | Friedberg F-2304 Friedberg F-2304* Friedberg F-2305 Friedberg F-2305*[9] | ||
Destruction of recalled notes
Faced with a $200 million stockpile of US currency, military officials opted to destroy all the recalled regular currency instead of overcoming the logistical problems of shipping the notes back to the mainland.[3][4][5] At first, a local crematorium[a] was pressed into service to burn the notes. To ensure complete destruction, a fine mesh was placed on the top of the chimneys to catch and recirculate unburnt scraps of currency escaping the fire.[3]
Destruction of the notes was slow, and pressed with time, the bigger furnaces of the Aiea sugar mill were requisitioned to help burn the currency.[3][4][5]
Use
The notes and issuance continued in use until October 21, 1944;
As a collectible
Of the series, the $5 note is considered the most desirable, as a little over 9 million examples were printed. Over 35 million $1 notes were made, making them the most common of the series.
| Denomination | Quantity printed | Star note quantity printed | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | 35,052,000 | 204,000 | [6] |
| $5 | 9,416,000 | ? | [7] |
| $10 | 10,424,000 | ? | [8] |
| $20 | 11,246,000 | 54,500 | [9] |
Notes
- a. ^ Simpson notes Oahu Cemetery as the first burn site;[3] however, Medcalf notes Nuuanu Mortuary as the first burn site when interviewed by the Honolulu Advertiser.[4]
References
Notes
Cited literature
- Budnick, Rich (2005). Hawaii's Forgotten History: the good...the bad...the embarrassing. Aloha Press. ISBN 0-944081-04-5.
- Friedberg, Arthur L. & Ira S. (2008) The Official Red Book. A Guide Book Of United States Paper Money: Complete Source for History, Grading, and Prices (Second Edition) Whitman Publishing ISBN 0-7948-2362-9
- Simpson, MacKinnon (2008). Hawaii Homefront: Life in the Islands during World War II. Bess Press. ISBN 978-1-57306-281-7.