Hawaii Quarter Makes National Debut

The Hawaii Quarter, last in the series of 50 State Quarters issued by the United States Mint, made its debut yesterday at a public ceremony in Downtown Honolulu attended by hundreds of people. Governor Linda Lingle and Edmund Moy, Director of the U.S. Mint were among the dignitaries at hand to launch the last State Quarter of the series that features a likeness of King Kamehameha the Great, a map of the islands and the state motto on the reverse side of the coin.

Governor Lingle stated that the Hawaii Quarter will be one of the most popular coins in the series and a highly sought after collectible. The long line of hundreds of people that snaked around the entire block of Bishop, Hotel and Alakea Streets seemed to prove her point about the coin's popularity. These people were waiting in line since early in the morning to be among the first to snap up the new quarters. The U.S. Mint will be casting more than 520,000,000 copies of the coin in the next 10 weeks.

Additional Links:

• Collectors Flip for State Commemorative Coin
• The U.S. Mint 50 State Quarters Program
• Photos: Hawaii State Quarter Debut

Top Photo: Happy school children with their new Hawaii Quarters.


Governor Lingle hands out new Quarters to eager school children.


Long line of people waiting for the new quarter snake around Bishop Street.


The Hawaii Quarter featuring King Kamehameha, image of the islands and state motto.

The Hawaii Quarter

Governor Linda Lingle selected the Hawaii Quarter design at a press conference yesterday. The Hawaii Quarter will be minted in 2008 and will be the final coin of the 50 state series that was started by the U.S. Mint in 1999. Governor Lingle predicts that this will be one of the most sought after coins in the series. The reverse design will feature King Kamehameha the Great, a map of the 8 Hawaiian islands, the state motto, Statehood date (1959) and the familiar "E Pluribus Unum." Like all the other coins before it, the figure of President George Washington will be featured on the obverse side.

The selection process was made by a committee with the finalists put up to popular vote through an internet website. I personally liked a design with a surfer and Diamond Head in the background. I found out that design only garnered 13% of the public vote. The public went for the one chosen by the Governor that features King Kamehameha and the 8 Hawaiian islands. I liked the one with King Kamehameha and Diamond Head, but committee members thought it was too "Oahu centric". It had a better design than the final selection, but I can see the reasoning for picking the one that is now approved.

• Five Final Designs for Hawaii Quarter

Photo from the Office of the Governor.