Gained my first Hawaii coin today.and this fills gap In collection
How did Hawaii end up with a Union Jack in the corner of its flag——were they British colony before war of independence
why do they still retain
When I visited, a year and a half ago, most houses flew a Hawaiian flag alongside upside-down USA one. Quite strong pro-independence feeling.
from wikipedia: British explorer James Cook was the first known non-Polynesian to arrive at the archipelago, in 1778; early British influence is reflected in the state flag's design. An influx of explorers, traders, and whalers arrived shortly thereafter, introducing diseases that decimated the once isolated indigenous community. Hawaii became a unified, internationally recognized kingdom in 1810, remaining independent until Western businessmen overthrew the monarchy in 1893; this led to annexation by the U.S. in 1898.
