Thousands of people lined Bishop Square today to trade in their $10 bills for a roll of new "Hawai'i quarters," which complete the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program.

People stood in line three abreast for hours today to get their hands on the last quarter in the series, which features a likeness of King Kamehameha I, the island chain and Hawai'i's state motto, "Ua mau ke ea o ka 'aina i ka pono — The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness."

The mint calls the quarter series its most successful ever, with more than 34 billion in circulation. The quarters have been released in 10-week intervals in the order that states were admitted into the union, leaving Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawai'i for this year.

Gov. Linda Lingle and Ed Moy, director of the mint, passed out single quarters to schoolchildren who attended today's launch as adults lined up to exchange their currency into new Hawai'i quarters.

Since the beginning of the year, people in Hawai'i actually have been able to buy more expensive versions of the Hawai'i quarter — "proof coins" that are made out of specially selected, treated, polished and cleaned proof blanks that are struck at least twice to provide extra detail and clarity.

Also available have been even more spectacular "silver proofs" struck in 90 percent silver.

The general circulation quarters are made out of copper nickel and are struck just once. Hawai'i quarters sent directly to the Islands will bear a "D" from the Denver Mint. Others shipped east of Mississippi will bear a "P" for the Philadelphia Mint.