This simple overprinting of existing stocks of stamps commemorated the 150th anniversary of the Hawaiian Islands by the noted English navigator Capt. James Cook. These makeshift commemoratives, made by overprinting regular (definitive) stamps, disappointed collectors who had expected something more elaborate and appropriate for the commemoration. The overprints caused some confusion. In many cases postal clerks would not honor the stamps because they believed them to be precancels: items canceled by the mailer prior to posting and requiring a special permit for use.