1976 KING KAMEHAMEHA WITH THE HAWAIIAN MINT - COPPER/ANTIQUED

Kamehameha, more than any other person in the history of the Hawaiian people, exemplifies the essence of Hawaii's greatness. Kamehameha, the first King of Hawaii, united the Hawaiian Islands with a flotilla of schooners, cannons and white men in 1795. Blessed in battle by Madame Pele, the Volcano Goddess, Kamehameha was the only Hawaiian to stay overnight aboard Captain Cook’s ship and the first Hawaiian to accept gold and silver coins for exchange. He was a true father of his people and maintained a conservative respect for the old traditions. His plan was to amass so much power that he would never use any of it. He succeeded.