1928 Hawaii Sesquicentennial Complete Set: Commemorating 150 Years of Western Contact

The 1928 Hawaii Sesquicentennial stamps (Scott #647-648) are a two-stamp commemorative set issued to mark 150 years since Captain James Cook's arrival in Hawaii in 1778. These stamps capture a specific moment in American territorial history: Hawaii was then a US Territory (it would not become a state until 1959), and the sesquicentennial was an occasion for acknowledging its unique place in American and Pacific history.

Historical Background

Captain James Cook arrived in the Hawaiian Islands in January 1778 aboard the Resolution and Discovery during his third Pacific voyage. He named them the Sandwich Islands in honor of the Earl of Sandwich, a patron of British naval exploration. Cook's contact opened Hawaii to Western trade, missionary activity, and eventual political change that transformed the islands over the following century.

By 1928, exactly 150 years had passed. Hawaii was a thriving US Territory with a substantial population from multiple cultural backgrounds (native Hawaiian, American, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, and others), and the sesquicentennial was organized as both a celebration and a historical commemoration.

The US Post Office issued two stamps for the occasion, both featuring imagery connected to Hawaiian history.

The Two Stamps

2-Cent (Scott #647): Depicts the valley of Kilauea on the Big Island, showing the dramatic volcanic landscape that is both geologically and culturally significant in Hawaii.

5-Cent (Scott #648): Features a portrait of Captain Cook, the most direct historical reference in the set, acknowledging the 150-year connection to Cook's arrival.

Both stamps are single-color lithographed issues appropriate to the period.

Condition Grades and Value

Never-hinged premiums are meaningful for this era. The complete set in NH VF condition represents a strong acquisition.

First-Day Covers

The sesquicentennial stamps were issued on August 13, 1928, with the first-day city being Honolulu, Hawaii. First-day covers from Honolulu with appropriate sesquicentennial event cachets are the most desirable associated postal history items.

The combination of the tropical Hawaiian subject matter, the historically significant sesquicentennial event, and the limited production of event cachets makes these covers attractive to both Hawaiian postal history collectors and US first-day cover collectors.

Centering and Condition

Like most US commemoratives of the 1920s, the Hawaii sesquicentennial stamps frequently show shifted perforations. Well-centered copies in NM-VF condition are more scarce than catalog prices suggest and command premiums over catalog value.

The 5-cent Cook portrait value is generally somewhat more challenging to find in top condition than the 2-cent landscape, though both are collected together as a set.

The Hawaii Collecting Area

Hawaii as a collecting specialty attracts both US philatelists and Pacific/Asian collectors:

• Pre-territorial Hawaii stamps: The Kingdom of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii, and Provisional Government issues from before 1900 are major collecting areas

• US territorial period: Issues from 1900-1959 during the territorial period

• State-specific cancellations and postmarks: Collectors of Hawaiian postal history pursue both territorial and statehood-era material

The 1928 sesquicentennial set sits at an accessible price point within this rich collecting area while representing a genuinely significant historical moment.

Value Context for the Complete Set

At current prices, the complete set in VF NH condition is an accessible acquisition even for collectors of modest budget. Its value lies primarily in the historical and thematic significance rather than monetary investment. For building a comprehensive US commemorative collection, the 1928 Hawaii set is a satisfying and meaningful addition.

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