1847 1C Hawaii Cent NGC AU55BN

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It was in 1847 that King Kamehameha III of the Hawaiian Islands commissioned the Hawaiian Keneta (One Cent) under a new monetary system. The Keneta was considered the equivalent of the U.S. Large Cent. It was minted privately in the United States. This issue was designed and engraved by Edward Hulseman. Numismatist Robert Lindesmith considered him “the leading token diesinker of the 1833 to 1844 Hard Times period.”

NGC has graded 60 as AU55BN with 294 finer. Collector’s Universe prices this issue at $1,000.00 in AU55BN.

Writes Ron Guth, “An obvious error on Hulseman's part was to misspell the denomination as "Hapa Haneri" instead of "Hapa Hanele". Although the coin was a disappointment to the Hawaiians, the Keneta remained legal tender until 1884 and circulated even later. According to Breen, Wayte Raymond used to travel to Belmont, Massachusetts in the 1950's to purchase Uncirculated examples from the descendants of the original minters!”

Queen Street in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1856. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.