Hawaiian overprint on US dollars

Overprints on money were made during the Second World War after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . The goal is to mark the US currency that was circulating in Hawaii with the word HAWAII (Hawaii) in case the Japanese captured the Hawaiian Islands : if the Japanese decided to withdraw money from Hawaiians, the bills they received would not have any value because of their easy identification.

Overprints were made from January 1942 to 1944 on banknotes issued by San Francisco ( Fed Bank No. 12) of the 1934 and 1935 series in denominations of 5, 10 and 20 dollars and a silver certificate of 1 dollar. ^[2] According to the decree of the military governor Delos Emmons ( born Delos Carleton Emmons ) dated January 10, 1942, dollars were withdrawn from the population and companies of the island and were given in exchange for the same amount, but with specially printed banknotes with a large “HAWAII” lettering on the reverse side bills. On the front of their left and right, too, was the inscription, made vertically and in a reduced size.

After the war, all overprinted banknotes were destroyed (burned in the crematoriums of cemeteries ^[3] ). Some of them remained with residents and military personnel as souvenirs.

• Banknotes of 5, 10 and 20 dollars
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  5 dollars

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  10 $

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  20 dollars

• Wartime currency not so rare
• Hawaii Overprints (eng.)
• US dollar notes