1853 HK-7, Crystal Palace-Type 2 Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$27 VG8 06-20-2018 eBay

Description

Cataloged as HK-7, this 1853 so-called dollar honors Crystal Palace-Type 2. Governor DeWitt Clinton's 1825 'Wedding of the Waters' ceremony — pouring Lake Erie water into New York Harbor — celebrated the Erie Canal's 363-mile route from Albany to Buffalo, the engineering marvel that reduced western freight costs by over 90 percent. Struck in bronze, this piece combines durability with an attractive warm tone that deepens with age into a rich chocolate-brown patina. Bronze was the preferred composition for many commemorative medals due to its excellent detail retention. Early commemorative medals were produced in small quantities by private die sinkers, with white metal and copper being the most common compositions. Distribution was typically limited to event participants and subscribers. The HK numbering system established by Hibler and Kappen in 1963 brought order to hundreds of previously uncataloged American commemorative medals, many of which had been ignored by mainstream numismatic references.

Rarity Notes

Strikings of HK-7 are scarce. Post-Civil War era medals were often distributed at events, with many entering circulation as pocket pieces rather than being preserved as collectibles.

Cross References

HK-7; PCGS #642011; NGC #850012