13c Hawaii stamp

The Hawaii state flag was designed in 1816 at the request of King Kamehameha I and adopted in 1894. Hawaii was admitted to the Union on August 21, 1959, as the fiftieth state.

The 13-cent Hawaii State Flag (Scott 1682) features eight alternating white, red, and blue stripes that represent Hawaii's eight islands. The British Union Jack represents Hawaii's historical relationship with Great Britain as its protectorate. It also represents a stylized puela (a triangular standard lying across two crossed spears called an alia), which is the symbol of the Hawaiian ali'i, or chief.

References:
Scott 2005 Specialized Catalogue of U.S. Stamps and Covers
NETSTATE.com (http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/flags/hi_flag.htm)
SHG Resources (http://www.shgresources.com/hi/symbols/flag/)

Doug D'Avino
February 1, 2007

Scott Catalogue USA: 1682
mint

Copyright United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.

Museum ID: 1980.2493.6168