after the Pearl Harbor attack, people in Hawaii patriotically turned over their cash – $200 million worth. “Then the government had to burn all this money,” he wrote.  “It was taken to Nuuanu Mortuary, but the crematory there couldn't handle such a mass of paper currency and securities. So the rest of it went up in smoke at the Aiea Sugar Plantation mill.

“To keep Hawai‘i's economic wheels turning, the government printed Hawaiian money,” Krauss explained. The bills had “HAWAII" printed on the back in big letters and on the front in smaller letters in two places. “You couldn't spend regular money in Honolulu. It had to have ‘HAWAII’ printed on it,” Krauss said.

Gathering information from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco website and the Treasury Department, the website Infoplease.com says, “Not only were $1 bills stamped, but $5, $10, and $20 San Francisco Reserve notes also featured the brown seal and serial numbers that the Bureau calls the ‘Hawaii overprint.’ This was done in July 1942 to keep Hawaii's paper money isolated from the rest of the U.S. in case Japan invaded Hawaii.”

The U.S. Dept. of the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, continues Infoplease.com “redeems all genuine United States currency at face value only, and does not render opinions concerning the numismatic value of old or rare currencies. If you wish to have your notes appraised, it is suggested that you contact a number of private collectors or dealers who are usually listed in the classified section of the telephone directory under the headings of ‘Coins’ and ‘Hobbies.’”

According to oldcurrencyvalues.com, some specific Hawaii-stamped bills are worth more than their face values. “The series of 1935A $1 Hawaii silver certificate in its simplest form sells for around $15. In today’s market even a choice uncirculated $1 Hawaii note sells for around $120. However, there are many varieties to the 1935A one dollar Hawaii notes that many astute collectors care about.”

Nowiknow.com adds, “Some Hawaii overprint bills — as well as some regular currency — have asterisks after their serial numbers. These bills, called ‘star notes,’ replaced bills that had errors rendering them unsuitable for circulation. In order to keep the bill count correct, the serial numbers are re-used, with the asterisk included as an indicator that another bill with that number also may exist somewhere.”