The American state quarters were issued in the same order in which the states had joined the Union. This is why the quarter of Hawaii was the last coin to be released in this series. Hawaii was invaded by the US in 1898, and became an equal federal state after a referendum in 1959. The Hawaiian state quarter features the state outline and the statue of Kamehameha the Great. Kamehameha had conquered most of the Hawaiian islands in the early 19th century and established the first Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. During his reign he took steps to ensure that the islands remained a united realm after his death. The caption on the coin reads 'Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ʻĀina i ka Pono.' It is the motto of Hawaii and commonly translated as 'The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.'