Old gold coins in Hawaii? Has anyone found any?

makahaman

Full Member
Sep 22, 2006
249
55
Northshore, Hawaiian Islands
Hi all I live in Hawaii and was wondering if there has been any posts about anyone in Hawaii finding old American gold coins? I was just curious because I never hear of anything about some lucky fella finding gold coins? My dads mother and father worked on Hawaii's old plantations and he told me of people that used to bury their money because they never trusted the bank. I have looked at many old house sites but nothing, found a couple of seated dimes and such but no gold? Where is it all at? I am diving some sites that I found some old money but it was all corroded already because its made of silver. Is it possible to find them gold coins here? I know it will be harder because the traffic in the olden days here can't compare to the ghost towns in the United States.. Just wondering if anybody could share some information that would be great, I know that there were alot of different denominations in gold... Just a thought???
 

Rodbuster209

Hero Member
Oct 26, 2010
832
622
Northern California
Detector(s) used
MineLab SE, Excaliber 1000, Sovereign, White's SpectrumXLT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good luck with finding a gold coin, when I am there I am always hoping to find one of those fat gold bangles that the local girls wear! Good Luck!
 

bigfoot1

Silver Member
Nov 1, 2011
3,765
3,399
so.cal.mtns.
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
garrett,minelab,fisher,,,atp current weapon of choice
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
unfortunately very few of us will ever find a gold coin of any denomination...just the way it is
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Hawaii didn't become a state till 1959. Not that USA coins couldn't arrive there before that, mind-you (we had bases there during the war, etc....). But prior to the era of jet travel (when the only way there was by ship, or if you were in the military), then ....... tourism, as we know it today, was not the same back at the turn-of-the-century.

And gold coins here on the Mainland are rarely ever much after 1905-ish. Even though minted till well through the 1920s, yet you never hear of any being found that new. Whenever you read of someone finally digging one, they're usually turn of century or older. Not the teens/20's ones. So when you consider the low amount of traffic emigrating to Hawaii at that time, from the USA, it's not boding well for gold coins to be there.

And consider that, and then factor in that EVEN TO FIND A GOLD COIN on the main-land USA, is a needle-in-a-haystack, then ........ seems like the odds would go down even more at an island. Nothing is impossible, but ..... just sayin' ! Hawaii didn't mint gold coins of their own (only copper and silver, etc...).
 

OP
OP
M

makahaman

Full Member
Sep 22, 2006
249
55
Northshore, Hawaiian Islands
My dads mother had a few gold coins in her house before she passed away, in Hawaii in the 1880's the coinage was silver and gold everything was paid in that kind of money. There is a tale of a man that lived next to me and he went to a stream to hide his money, his granddaughter followed him and he buried 2 tin cans of gold coins. Never to be found, he scolded the little girl to go home, he died not telling anyone where he hid it!! I know there are gold coins in Hawaii because I did a little research and the monarchy said everything is to be paid in gold and silver. I found old American silver dimes in the 1880's, seated liberties and even some old nickels in the 1880's and Indian pennies so I know there is gold coins in Hawaii. One man metal detecting an old plantation found 1 $20 gold piece. I found 10 Morgan dollars when I used to dig for old bottles with my dad so I know there is gold around but finding it is a whole different ball game!!
 

Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
.... in the 1880's the coinage was silver and gold everything was paid in that kind of money....

The same can be said of the USA mainland. Gold coins were here too. Along with all the other stories you allude to. Ie.: various seateds, old nickels, morgans, etc.... being found here as well. But this doesn't mean that gold coins are certain to be found. There are hard-core excellent hunters here on the main-land, who have found SCORES of seateds, reales, busts, colonials, barbers, etc..., yet never found a gold coin.

Yes, anything's possible, but ... just sayin' ...
 

SeabeeRon

Bronze Member
Aug 5, 2007
2,068
2,041
Santa Cruz, CA.
Detector(s) used
ML Sov GT; Whites MXT & Surf PI Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Off course finding a gold coin would be awesome, but finding coins from the Hawaiian Monarchy period would be pretty sweet as well!!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top