Although Hawaii issued revenue stamps into the 20th century, the last
postage stamps Hawaii issued was in the year 1899. If your stamp has a
1900 year date cancel, there is a good chance you have one of the
following: In 1899, a one cent dark green stamp picturing the Hawaii
Coat of Arms was issued that has a catalog value of $1.50 in unused
condition and $1.25 in used condition. A two cent rose colored stamp
was issued showing a water view of Honolulu valued at $1.40 unused and
$1.00 used however, there is a valuable variety of this stamp that
shows what appears to be a "flying goose" in the sky over the
mountains. It is actually a crack in the printing plate that took the
shape of a flying goose, but this variety dramatically increases the
value to $325.00 unused and $300.00 used. In order for your stamp to
be this variety you must be able to actually see what appears to be a
tiny "Flying Goose" in the sky (long goose neck and all). Better check
with a magnifying glass! It is a scarce variety because it only occurs
on one stamp in the whole sheet. Another valuable variety of this rose
colored stamp shows a double transfer and is unpriced in the catalogs
because it is seldom traded, so a value has not been established. And
still another valuable variety of this stamp exists and comes in a
vertical pair where there are no horizontal perforations, only
vertical perforations (holes along the edges). This is valued at
$4,500.00 for an unused PAIR. Finally, a five cent blue stamp was
issued in 1899 depicting a statue of King Kamehameha. The value is
$5.50 unused and $3.00 used. Please keep in mind that condition is
very important in evaluating the true worth of any stamp. If your
stamp is PERFECTLY centered with no faults, wide margins, no marks on
the glue on back (if unused) or has a small-town cancel (if used), the
stamp could be worth more than the prices I mentioned. On the other
hand, if the stamp is faulty, has no glue on back (if unused), and is
off-center, it is worth considerably less. Used stamps from this set
commonly have a Honolulu cancel. Though common, if the strike is
complete, a SMALL premium can be added to the value for this cancel.
Other readable town cancels could increase the value of used stamps
from just a little to a whole lot - depending on the cancel or the
town. "Volcano House" for example, is one of the scarcest cancels and
could add $100.00 or more to the value of even a cheap stamp
(depending on the strike). Pricing information for the basic stamps
was obtained from the 2003 Scott Specialized Catalogue. Hope this was
of some help! |
