Thread: TRIVIA: Maui Trade Dollars

The 2009 Maui Trade Dollars are now available!

What's a Maui Trade Dollar?

Some collectors who collect "So Called Dollars" believe that's what they are. Others collecting "tokens" believe that's what they are.

They are not an authorized mintage of a country, nation or state. However, they carry the denomination of "Dollar."

Maui is the second largest island of the State of Hawaii. In 1992 the Maui Chamber of Commerce contracted to have a Trade Dollar minted to raise funds for their non-profit Education Foundation.

A design by S. T. Wurmser (whale) was selected for the reverse and a limited edition of 100,000 coins were struck by Contenental Coin in Cupronickel. Certificates of Authenticity were included with all coins from 1992 through 2007. Each Dollar was redeemable during its year of issue at various participating stores throughout the island. Many Maui Trade Dollars were kept by tourists as souvenirs. Since the coins are crown-sized (39mm) "So Called Dollar" collectors and "token" collectors began collecting them.

Last year the Maui Trade Dollars caught my attention and through diligent searchs, I managed to acquire all those Single Trade Dollars from 1992.

Through the auspices of Don's World Coin Gallery, here are some photos of the pertinent Maui Trade Dollars. A nice feature added by Don is "to see an enlargement of the coin, click on the coin."

Here's that first year of issue, the 1992:

http://worldcoingallery.com/countrie...Trade%20Dollar

The C.O.As bear the mintage figures, the mint who struck the coins, the designerand other pertinent information about the specific year's coin.

Here's a photo of the last year (2007) Maui One Dollars were struck whose reverse was dsesigned by Heidi Westweet and struck by Global Minting (115,000)

http://worldcoingallery.com/countrie...Trade%20Dollar


That isn't the last of Maui Trade Dollars. In 2008 rhe value was increased to "Two Dollars."

Here's a photo of of the 2008 bearing a Whale and Hula Dancer reverse:

http://worldcoingallery.com/countrie...0Two%20Dollars


Here's a photo of the new 2009 "Two Dollars" piece bearing whales and map of the island:

http://worldcoingallery.com/countrie...0Two%20Dollars


Again, that's not the end of this "trivia." If you want the best, more elusive of the Maui Trade Dollars, there were some silver ones struck. I settled for the Copper-nickel (cupronickel) specimens.

Since I acquired all those Maui "Trade Dollars" from '92 to 2009, I have purchased some older brass and antique brass "Trade Dollars." Sorry, I couldn't find photos on these, but I'll share some info about them:

One of my favorite acquisitions is an Antique Brass Hawaii "Aloha" Dollar.It doesn;lt carry a date, but was minted in 1971.

My 2nd older "Trade Dollar" is a brass piece authorized in 1972 by the Island of Kona.

My third older "Trade Dollar" is a brass coin struck in 1973 for Kona Island.

The forth, and last, older "Trade Dollar" is a 1975 Maui "Trade Dollar" struck in brass.

I am awaiting arrival of a fifth older "Trade Dollar."

Now. in case you'd like to view all the maui "Trade Dollars" minted from 1992 through 2009 click on this link:

http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/Maui.php


Did you enjoy this "Trivia"?

Clinker

i wish i had known this sooner when i was ont he island

Originally Posted by spock1k

i wish i had known this sooner when i was ont he island

Next time you visit Maui, stop in the Maui Chamber of Commerce store and visit all coin shops on the Island, You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Clinker

I sure enjoyed it!
I found the examples displayed at a souvenir stand in Hana, Maui after riding precariously close to the cliff on "The Road to Hana". Finding a complete set of the trade dollars at that stand made my day!\
Try the "View all" link at the bottom of my Maui page.
Don

Originally Posted by DonNorris

I sure enjoyed it!
I found the examples displayed at a souvenir stand in Hana, Maui after riding precariously close to the cliff on "The Road to Hana". Finding a complete set of the trade dollars at that stand made my day!\
Try the "View all" link at the bottom of my Maui page.
Don

Thanks for reading and commenting...

Clinker

Originally Posted by Clinker

Next time you visit Maui, stop in the Maui Chamber of Commerce store and visit all coin shops on the Island, You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Clinker

There are coin shops on Maui??

I was just there within the past 3 months, and all the shops I found from the phonebook and my garmin GPS were nonexistent... I did see the trade dollars for sale in the touristy shops. but no coin shops...

Clinker, I enjoyed this post immensely. Glad to see you back posting....

Originally Posted by LostDutchman

There are coin shops on Maui??

I was just there within the past 3 months, and all the shops I found from the phonebook and my garmin GPS were nonexistent... I did see the trade dollars for sale in the touristy shops. but no coin shops...

Thanks for sharing your experience with Coin Shops. If visiting Maui, a collecter of Maui Trade Dollars should seek out Souvenir Shops for better results.

Again thanks,

Clinker

Originally Posted by green18

Clinker, I enjoyed this post immensely. Glad to see you back posting....

Just some "minor" setbacks...AND thank you!

Clinker

Originally Posted by Clinker

Next time you visit Maui, stop in the Maui Chamber of Commerce store and visit all coin shops on the Island, You'll be pleasantly surprised!

Clinker

i hope there is a next time

Originally Posted by spock1k

i hope there is a next time

I hope you get to back, but as proved out by other U.S. coin collectors viusiting Maui, brsides visiting the Maui Chamber of Commerce Store, seek out Souvenir shops for better results.

Clinker

yes i will

I have a friend that was getting rid of 40 ozt of silver bars and rounds. So I told him to skip the coin shop and to sell them to me. I just happened to have some money handy, and after I paid him for the silver and he went on his merry way, I started looking through my newly aquired pile of silver. I found 5 Maui Silver trade dollars, that I found out are actually scarce. Later I found out that 1992 was the first year, and wouldnt you know that I have one!! All of the ones I have a from the 90's except for one, I believe is 2004. I have no Idea what they are REALLY worth, but I seen some people pay over $100 a piece for them.

Any input on mintages or value would be great.


Thanks
Joe

Nice to see a 'Clinker' thread bumped. Gosh I still miss him.......

I was besides myself when I was able to bump one of his posts. I came across these rounds...then came across this post, and I had to do it.