Official Statehood Medal Commemorating the Admission of Hawaii as the 50th State of the United States of America, August 21, 1959. This medal was struck in 1959. This is a very large medal with a diameter of 2 ½ inches and a weight 4.33 ounces of silver with a fineness of .916 2/3. Exactly 3,154 of the sterling silver version of the official Hawaii Statehood medal were struck. 3,000 of the sterling silver medals have a serial number on its edge, while 154 lack the serial number. The actual surviving numbers of these medals are considerable less when you consider how many went to the melting pots in the late 1970s and early 1980s.^{[ citation needed]} It's also estimated that less than 1,265 sterling silver medals (evidence provided by a non-error medal with the serial number of 1266) have the incorrect spelling of the island of Niihau. The spelling error medals were minted first. This sterling silver Hawaii Statehood medal has the spelling error of the island of Niihau. The error can be seen as “NII HAU” (space inserted between NII and HAU). This silver Hawaii Statehood Medal is attributed as:

         Medcalf and Russell 2MS-2a (Hawaiian Money: Standard Catalog Second Edition, 1991, page 100) 

This medal can also be attributed in the following references:

         Medcalf and Russell MS-2a (Hawaiian Money: Standard Catalog First Edition, 1978, page 62)
         Medcalf and Fong 6Ba (Hawaiian Money and Medals, 1967, page 37)
         Gould and Bressett 11a(1) (Hawaiian Coins, Tokens and Paper Money, 1961, page 38)

Medal numbers 1 through 2500 were from the first striking. Medal numbers 2501 through 3000 where from the second striking. The citizens of Hawaii complained about the low mintage numbers and second striking was made of 500 sterling silver medals. The 154 unnumbered medals were ordered by then Lieutenant Governor James K. Kealoha to give out as gifts from his office. It is highly probable that the 154 unnumbered medals have the correct spelling, since its order was placed after the first striking.

Only 58 medals in gold was stuck and is a true rarity. The Niihau error is not seen on the gold version. 29,599 of the bronze version of this medal were stuck. Both the error and non-error exist in the bronze version.

Personal Hawaiiana collection of Waipahu96797

Seal of Hawaii

Show details of high relief design on the Great Seal of the State of Hawaii