United States Hawaii year 1893 stamp 25c Unused MH

United States Hawaii year 1893 stamp 25c Unused MH

In 1871, Hawaii was still an independent kingdom, and it did not issue postage stamps until later in its history. However, the United States did issue postage stamps that were used in Hawaii during this time period.

During the 1870s, Hawaii began to use postage stamps of the United States for mail destined for foreign destinations, as well as for domestic mail. These stamps were typically stamps of the United States overprinted with “Hawaiian Islands” or “H.I.”

One notable example is the 1869 issue of United States postage stamps, known as the 1869 Pictorials, which were commonly used in Hawaii during this time. These stamps featured intricate designs such as locomotives, ships, and an allegorical figure of Freedom. In Hawaii, these stamps were often overprinted with the text “Hawaiian / Postage” or “H.I.” to indicate their use in the Hawaiian Islands.

The use of United States postage stamps in Hawaii continued until the Kingdom of Hawaii issued its own postage stamps in the 1850s. These early Hawaiian stamps, known as the “Numeral” issues, featured numeric denominations and the image of King Kamehameha III. However, these stamps were not issued until after 1851, so they were not available in 1871.

Overall, while Hawaii did not issue its own postage stamps in 1871, the kingdom did use United States postage stamps overprinted with “Hawaiian Islands” or “H.I.” for its mail services during this time period.