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50 Dollars Silver Certificate of Deposit
| Issuer | Republic of Hawaii, Department of Finance |
|---|---|
| Year | 1895 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Dollars |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black and blue intaglio on white cotton paper, the obverse centres on a classical allegorical female figure flanked to the left by a pastoral vignette with sheep and to the right by a portrait vignette of a young woman. The denomination "50" appears in large numerals at each corner, with the Hawaiian word "KANALIMA" running vertically along both lateral borders, while the red serial number is positioned at upper centre. "REPUBLIC OF HAWAII" arches across the upper portion of the design, with signature lines for the Minister of Finance and Minister of Public Audit placed at lower centre. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in dark blue intaglio, the reverse presents a large central medallion bearing the coat of arms of the Republic of Hawaii, encircled by the legends "HAWAIIAN TREASURY" and "REPUBLIC OF HAWAII" and the Roman date "MDCCCXCIV". Two large guilloche rosettes incorporating the numeral "50" flank the central medallion symmetrically, and the Hawaiian motto "UA MAU KE EA O KA AINA I KA PONO" appears on the central seal. An elaborate lathe-work border frames the entire composition, with "CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT" inscribed in a panel at the base. |
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| Comments |
Hawaii's Silver Certificates of Deposit were instruments with a specific legal function: they represented actual silver coin held on deposit with the Department of Finance, redeemable on demand. The 1895 series was issued under Sanford Dole's provisional republic government, just two years after the 1893 overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani — a government still unrecognized by significant portions of the Hawaiian population and operating under contested legitimacy.
American Bank Note Company produced the series in New York, as they had for the Kingdom of Hawaii before the coup. The higher denominations like this $50 note circulated almost exclusively in commercial transactions; retail use was negligible. Surviving examples are scarce — annexation by the United States in 1898 triggered redemption and destruction of most remaining stock.