Twenty Dollars “Hawaii”
$20.00 · Series 1934-A · District of San Francisco
Historical Context: Emergency Currency of World War II
After the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, U.S. military commanders feared that a Japanese invasion of Hawaii would place large quantities of ordinary dollars in enemy hands, seized from banks and private citizens to finance the war effort. On January 10, 1942, the territory's military governor, Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons, ordered excess cash withdrawn from circulation, setting limits of $200 for individuals and $500 for businesses.
From 25 June 1942 the new overprinted banknotes were issued, with the word “HAWAII” in two small inscriptions on the obverse and a third, large inscription, dominating the reverse, as well as stamps and serial numbers in brown ink instead of the usual green and blue. Thus, in the event of a Japanese occupation, the government could immediately declare worthless all paper money identified as Hawaiian. By August 15, 1942, there were no more unoverprinted banknotes in circulation on the islands.
Issuance of these notes ceased on October 21, 1944, as fear of invasion subsided, and their formal withdrawal began in April 1946. The current cash collected in 1942 —a cumulus of $200 million— was cremated in Hawaii rather than transported back to the mainland, first using a local crematorium and then the large ovens of a sugar mill in ʻAiea.
Color Scheme
Obverse:main printing in black ink on white paper, with the Treasury seal and serial numbers in distinctive brown ink, rather than the standard green of contemporary Federal Reserve notes.
Reverse:print in classic green ink, dominated by the word “HAWAII” superimposed in large black letters above the White House vignette.
Portrait and Obverse Images
- Center:oval portrait of Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States.
- Left:Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco seal in brown ink, with the identifying letter “L” and vertical “HAWAII” overprint.
- Right:United States Treasury seal in brown ink, together with the vertical “HAWAII” overprint and serial number.
Reverse Images
Engraved vignette of the White House, the same one illustrating the standard $20 bill, covered by the large “HAWAII” overprint in black block letters spanning the entire design —the most recognizable distinguishing feature of this emergency issue.
Signatures
- W. A. Julian— Treasurer of the United States (Treasurer of the United States), on the left.
- Henry Morgenthau, Jr.— Secretary of the Treasury (Secretary of the Treasury), on the right.
Legacy for Collectors
Of the $20 “Hawaii” were printed11.246.000regular banknotes (Series 1934 and 1934-A, Friedberg FR-2304/FR-2305) and52.000star replacements —11.298.000in total — all from District L of San Francisco. The stars are the rarest and most sought after in this denomination. Within the set of Hawaii issues, the $5 is often cited as the most coveted, with just over 9 million units printed.
Many examples escaped post-war destruction, kept as souvenirs by military personnel and residents of the time, and are today preserved as a unique —and highly collectible— chapter of American World War II emergency currency.
Print Run — $20 Hawaii
The entire emergency issue of $20 notes with the “HAWAII” overprint (Series 1934 and 1934-A, Friedberg FR-2304 / FR-2305) was printed exclusively for theDistrict L — San Francisco. The following figures add up regular banknotes and star replacements from the published serial number ranges.1
| District | Federal Reserve Bank | Regular tickets | Star replacements | Printed Gross Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | San Francisco | 11.246.000 | 52.000 | 11.298.000 |
Total Print
- Regular tickets: 11,246,000
- Star replacements: 52,000
- Total banknotes printed:11.298.000
- Combined face value:$225.960.000
Bureau of Engraving and Printing deliveries for this special $20 issue are recorded betweenJune 8, 1942 and July 18, 1944.2Regular and starred serial ranges correspond entirely to the prefixL(San Francisco); there were no additional districts.1
The copy of this card (Series 1934-A, FR-2305, number L86654132A) belongs to that single issuing district.
Sources
- 1. USPaperMoney.info — series ranges from the special issue $20 Hawaii (brown stamp) and total derivative:uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- 2. USPaperMoney.info — delivery dates BEP, $20 Hawaii (8 Jun 1942–18 Jul 1944):uspapermoney.info (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- Friedberg, Arthur L. & Ira S.Paper Money of the United States(FR-2304 / FR-2305).
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing —bep.gov (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- Heritage Auctions —ha.com (new window)(opens in a new tab)
- Numista —numista.com (new window)(opens in a new tab)