US Postage Stamps // Philatelic Project // The Federal States

          

Hawai'i // Honolulu, HI // Western Region // Hawaii-Aleutian Time
(The Aloha State)
Kingdom established: (1795 -) 1810 by King Kamemahea I.
Provisional Government: January 7, 1893 after forced (coup d'etat)
abdication of Queen Lili'uokalani
Republic founded: July 4, 1894

US annexation:

July 7, 1898
Formal transfer to the US: August 12, 1898 with Sanford B. Dole
as first Governor
Territory established: February 22, 1900
Statehood granted: August 21, 1959 // 50th state
[View map of US territorial acquisition]

The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of
137 islands and atolls in the North Pacific Ocean.
The eight major islands are:
Hawai'i The Big Island
Maui The Valley Isle, surfing paradise
O'ahu The Gathering Place, location of Hawai'i's capital Honolulu
Kaua'i The Garden Isle
Moloka'i The Friendly Isle,
genuine Hawai'ian traditions and way of living are still practiced on the island
Lāna'i The Pineapple Isle
Ni'ihau The Forbidden Isle,
semi-private property, permission required to enter the island
Kaho'olawe The Target Isle, uninhabited private property

#4287 // September 2, 2008
(self-adhesive coil definitive)
Flags of Our Nation Series
Hawai'i State Flag
red 'ohi'a lehua blossoms
#1963 // April 14, 1982
(ex pane of 50 different stamps)
State Bird & Flower of
Hawai'i
Hawaiian Goose
(Branta sandvicensis)
and Hibiscus
#1682 // February 23, 1976
(ex pane of 50 different stamps)
American Bicentennial Series
Hawai'i State Flag

The eight stripes of the flag
represent Hawaii's eight islands,
and the Union Jack honors
Hawaii's early friendship
with Great Britain

#647/648 // August 13, 1928 // Honolulu, HI
Landing of Captain James Cook on January 20, 1778 on Kaua'i Island
(English navigator and explorer, * 1728, † 1779 killed by Hawaiian natives)
Sesquicentennial

Two-line overprint "HAWAII 1778 - 1928" on regular stamp issues
#634 2¢ George Washington and #637 5¢ Theodore Roosevelt

#799 // October 18, 1937 // Honolulu, HI
(ex Territories Issue, 1st of 4 stamps)
Hawai'i Territory

Statue of King Kamemahea I.
(* 1758, r. 1775, † 1819)
in Honolulu, O'ahu, HI


Hawai'ian Kingdom
1795 [1810] - 1893
#C46 // March 26, 1952 // Honolulu, HI
Air Mail Stamp
Issued to cover the air parcel
post rate of one pound

Aeroplane over
National Natural Landmark
volcanic cone
Diamond Head (Le'ahi)
near Honolulu, O'ahu, HI

#C55 // August 21, 1959
Air Mail Stamp
Hawai'i Statehood

Ali'i warrior,
Hawai'i Archipelago,
Star of Statehood
#1153 // July 4, 1960 //
Honolulu, HI

50-Star US Flag
after
Hawai'i Statehood
#2080 // March 12, 1984
25th Anniversary of
Hawai'i Statehood

Eastern Polynesian Canoe,
Golden Plover, and
Mauna Loa Volcano

#C84 // May 3, 1972 // Honaunau, HI
Air Mail Stamp
National Parks Centennial
City of Refuge, Hawai'i

The area on Hawai'i Island was founded in
the 1500s as a sacred religious sanctuary,
and is now called Pu' uhonua o Honaunau
National Historic Park.

Kii statue and temple
#1733 // January 20, 1978 // Honolulu, HI
Captain James Cook's visits to Hawaii
Bicentennial

Cook's two ships, the "Resolution" and the
"Discovery" at anchor offshore Kaua'i Island


Cook named Hawaii the "Sandwich Islands",
after the British chief naval minister,
the Earl of Sandwich.

#3660 // August 24, 2002 // Honolulu, HI
Duke Kahanamoku
(* 1890, † 1968)
Olympic gold medal swimming
champion (1912, 1920), champion surfer,
Hollywood actor, and Hawaiian folk hero

Portrait of Kahanamoku,
Diamond Head and surfers in the background
#4415 // August 21, 2009 // Honolulu, HI
50th Anniversary of Hawai'i Statehood

Surfer riding a wave on a longboard,
two people paddling an outrigger canoe to shore

#3694 // October 22, 2002 // New York, NY
Souvenir sheet
150th Anniversary of Hawaiian Postage Stamps
The "Hawaiian Missionary" Stamps of 1851 - 1853

Reproduction of 2¢, 5¢, 13¢ (1851), and 13¢ (1852) stamps
(13¢ valid for postage in the Kingdom of Hawai'i and the United States)
These stamps acquired their nickname because most were used on correspondence from American missionaries in Hawaii to their families back home. Because of their rarity, they are considered among the worlds foremost philatelic items.
Souvenir sheet illustrations:
The header image features a detail of a wood engraving of Diamond Head. The engraving appeared in an 1862 book titled "Hawaii: The Past, Present, and Future of Its Island Kingdom".
Also on the souvenir sheet is a photograph of an envelope known as the "Dawson cover" (the only surviving envelope to bear a 2¢ Hawaiian Missionary stamp). Addressed to Eliza A. Dawson of New York, the envelope bears 2¢ and 5¢ Hawaiian Missionary stamps as well as two US 3¢ stamps (#10), depicting George Washington, and a Honolulu postmark Oct 4.

Pearl Harbor
#2559i // September 3, 1991 // Phoenix, AZ
(ex sheetlet "1941: A World at War" consisting
of a large center map framed by five stamps
on the top and five on the bottom)

50th Anniversary of World War II

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor located
on O'ahu Island, HI, December 7, 1941

Burning and sinking ships
On December 7, 1941 Japanese carrier planes attacked the US fleet at anchor in Pearl Harbor, O'ahu Island, HI. 2,343 Americans died. The next day, December 8, USA declared war on Japan and entered into World War II against Nazi Germany (declaraton of war December 11) and its allies Italy and Japan. On September 2, 1945 the Empire of Japan signed unconditional surrender after the US Air Force dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945).
The state of war between the Empire of Japan and the United States of America formally ended with the Treaty of San Francisco, effective on April 28, 1952.

#3571 // April 4, 2002
(ex pane of 50 stamps, one for each state)
Greetings from Hawai'i

Illustration of contemporary postcard
in the style of the 1930s/1940s


View Hawai'i state quarter
View Hawai'i state map
View Hawai'i clock


The origin of the state name is uncertain. The island state may have been
named after Hawai'iloa, a hero of an ancient Hawaiian legend or is
based on the native Hawaiian word for homeland "Owhyhee".
The alphabet of the Hawai'ian language has twelve letters only:
five vowels (a, e, i, o, u) and seven consonats (h, k, l, m, n, p, w).
Land Area
rounded mi2 [km2]
6,423 [16.636]
ranked 47th
Population
(census 2010)
1,360,301
ranked 40th
Population Density
per mi2 [km2] of land area
212 [82]
ranked 14th
The State of Hawai'i has five counties.


The ZIP code turned 50 in 2013

Stamped Cards 

#UX81 // October 1, 1979 // Eugene, OR
Stamped Postal Card
Historic Preservation Series
Iolani Palace, Honolulu, HI

Royal residence of the former monarchy of Hawai'i,
the palace was built 1879/1882 in American Florentine architectural style.


        

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// Elmar R. Göller // All rights reserved // Contact // Publishing Information
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