The stamp in this listing is an example of Hawai`i #75 with a SON type 254.9a18 cancel from the "town" of Kohala in the North Kohala district of the island of Hawai`i. (Kohala is properly a district, not a town-but at the time, this post office served an area which presently has several towns each with their own post office, and there is no longer a separate post office by this name.) Kohala 254.9a18 is rated a 6 on the Hawaiian rarity scale, meaning that only 500 and 1000 examples are thought or known to exist. The date of the cancel is clearly August 17, but the year is unknown-although from the dates when the cancel was used, it would most likely be 1897 or 1898.

The history of the stamp is as follows:

Scott #75 shows a view of Honolulu Harbour as it would have appeared from the Pacific Ocean in the 1890's. This stamp was first issued on February 28, 1894, as part of the "Pictoral" series issued by the Republic of Hawai`i.

This value was the "workhorse" definitive stamp of late-1890's Hawai`i, as it paid the basic domestic letter rate as well as the rate for postcards sent to other countries in the Universal Postal Union (UPU.) These stamps were printed by the American Bank Note Company of New York, although this particular stamp was subject to numerous double transfer errors, incorrectly entered plates, etc.

Please see scan for details.

TERMS OF SALE:

Please note that your bid constitutes your acceptance of all the terms listed below. If anything is unclear, please e-mail for clarification or do not bid.

Shipping:

All stamps shipped by US Mail. US Orders $1.00 without insurance, international rates vary according to country of destination (please e-mail.) Optional insurance starts at $1.70 for US addresses for values up to $50, and registration services are available worldwide for an additional fee. Uninsured shipments sent at buyer's risk.

Payment options:

Paypal, Money Orders, and Checks payable in the US are accepted. Credit cards accepted through paypal only. Checks must be drawn on a US bank, or I cannot cash them! (I can no longer accept Canadian Postal Money Orders, even those in US dollars-sorry!) Discount available for multiple item purchase.

Return policy:

14 day, money back guarantee, provided the item(s) are sent back in original condition. The 14-day period is defined as follows:

US bidders: 14 days from the 3^rd day after the item is sent.

International: 14 days from the 7^th day after the item is sent.

If there is a problem with an item (i.e. a problem with the item itself, it didn't get there, etc.), please e-mail me within this time frame and I will be happy to work with you! Sales will be considered final after that point if no contact is made. If any item is returned for any reason, shipping charges will not be refunded.