Stamp Market Tips: An affordable stamp from Hawaii

Hawaii — One of the most unusual and attractive American states is Hawaii. A volcanic island chain in the vast Polynesian sweep of the Pacific Ocean, it was both an independent kingdom and a republic before becoming an American territory and later a state.

Hawaii issued stamps as both a kingdom and a republic, and some of those issues are among the great rarities of the philatelic world. Rarities notwithstanding,

Hawaiian stamps are hugely popular with a great many American collectors.

One of the more attractive and affordable issues is the $1 King Kamehameha I internal revenue stamp (Scott R11).

Kamehameha I (1758-1819) united the islands under his rule by military conquest and was the first to rule all the Hawaiian islands. Although the stamp commemorates King Kamehameha, it was actually issued by the Republic of Hawaii in 1897.

The 2015 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers values the stamp at $9 in both unused original gum condition and used condition. An example in mint never-hinged condition is valued at $12.50. That is the condition we recommend buying, and the stamp is a good buy at that price.

Tip of the Week

Haiti — Haiti, the second oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere after the United States, shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

A former French colony that gained independence via a slave revolt, Haiti remains the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

There are currently more than 800,000 Americans of Haitian descent in the United States. November 2014 saw the election to Congress of the first American of Haitian descent. Mia Love, elected from Utah’s 4th Congressional District, is also the first black woman Republican in the House of Representatives and the first black person elected to Congress from Utah.

The Haiti Philatelic Society is one of the larger and more active specialist societies in the United States.

Without question, the best modern Haitian issue is the set of six stamps and imperforate souvenir sheet (Scott 934-940) issued in 2003 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the death of Toussaint L’Overture, one of the leaders of the Haitian revolution.

The 2015 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values the set of six stamps in both mint never-hinged condition and used condition at $30, with the values in italics. The souvenir sheet is valued in mint never-hinged condition and used condition at $20, also with the values in italics.

This set and souvenir sheet were not widely distributed, either in Haiti or to dealers and collectors, and they remain very difficult to find. The stamps and souvenir sheet would be an excellent buy at 75 percent to 90 percent of Scott catalog value. — H.G. & R.M.

A Linn’s editor found this week’s recommended stamps on ZillionsOfStamps.com: Hawaii R11 — $11, mint never-hinged, very fine; Haiti Scott 934-940 — not found.

More from Linns.com:

An Open Letter to Postmaster General Megan Brennan

No speedy delivery for letter to Brennan 

Possible 20¢ Apgar imperf surfaces on 2002 cover in Fla. 

1¢ Bobcat coil variety to be issued at Aripex show   

Upright Jenny Invert pane, imperf stamps from press sheets to be listed by Scott   

Keep up with all of Linns.com's news and insights by signing up for our free eNewsletters, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Twitter.