Hawaii Overprint Notes: The Brown Seal Money of World War II

Why Hawaii got its own money

After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, officials worried that Japan might invade the islands and seize the cash held there. Ordinary dollars captured in Hawaii could be spent anywhere in the world. The answer was a distinctive currency that the government could declare worthless with a single order if the islands fell.

In January 1942 the military governor ordered a recall of the dollars circulating in Hawaii, with limits on how much cash people and businesses could keep. The overprinted notes were first issued on June 25, 1942. Residents had to exchange their regular bills by a summer deadline. From August 15, 1942 ordinary US paper money could no longer be used in the territory except with special permission.

The recalled money had to go somewhere. Rather than ship it to the mainland, officials burned it locally, first at a crematorium and later in the furnaces of a sugar mill at Aiea.

Hawaii overprint notes by denomination

How to recognize a genuine Hawaii note

Check that all of these features are present:

• A brown Treasury seal on the right side of the face.
• Brown serial numbers. Ordinary 1934 and 1935 notes have green serials on Federal Reserve notes and blue on silver certificates.
• Two small HAWAII overprints on the face, one at each end, plus a large outlined HAWAII across the back.
• For the $5, $10 and $20, the Federal Reserve district must be San Francisco, shown by the letter L and the number 12.

Watch out for fake overprints

Because the overprint is just a word, adding HAWAII to an ordinary 1934 or 1935A note is an easy forgery. The seal and serial numbers give it away. If the seal is green or blue and the serials are green or blue, the note is not a genuine Hawaii issue no matter how convincing the lettering looks. A Federal Reserve note from any bank other than San Francisco is also wrong for this issue.

The $1 silver certificate and its partners

Only the $1 is a silver certificate. It is a Series 1935A dollar, signed by W. A. Julian and Henry Morgenthau Jr., with the seal and serials changed to brown. At about 35 million printed it is the most common Hawaii note by a wide margin, which is why it is the one most families find.

The higher values are Federal Reserve notes, not silver certificates, but collectors treat all four as one set. The $5 and $20 were issued in both Series 1934 and 1934A, while the $10 is known as Series 1934A. Collectors also study mule varieties within the set.

Hawaii notes as invasion money

The notes did not stay in Hawaii. As American forces moved across the Central Pacific, Hawaii notes went with them as invasion currency, from Tarawa and Makin in November 1943 through the Marshalls and Marianas to Palau. The restrictions on their use were lifted on October 21, 1944, after which they had no special status and could be spent like any other dollar. Many servicemen kept them as souvenirs, which is how a lot of them end up in family collections on the mainland.

What a Hawaii note is worth

A genuine circulated $1 sits in the collector premium band at the lower end; it is common for a wartime note but always above face value. The $5, $10 and $20 carry larger collector premiums, since far fewer of each were printed. Star notes exist for every denomination and command a sizable premium. Uncirculated examples of any denomination move up again. Condition matters as much here as anywhere: tears, stains and heavy folds pull a note down.

What to do with one

Confirm the brown seal and brown serials, sleeve the note and keep it flat. If it belonged to a relative who served in the Pacific, record what you know about them; family history does not change the grade, but it is worth keeping with the note. For a star note, an uncirculated note or any of the higher denominations, a paper money dealer or grading service can confirm authenticity and grade.

Frequently asked questions