1859 So-Called Dollar HK-589b, Nassau Water Works

Coin Details

Auction Record

$141 UNC DETAILS 11-29-2012 Heritage Auctions

Description

Cataloged as HK-589, this 1961 so-called dollar commemorates Pony Express Termination. Personal commemorative so-called dollars provide a medallic portrait gallery of Americans whose achievements merited recognition through specially struck pieces, preserving the faces and stories of notable figures. This bronze so-called dollar represents the standard commemorative medal composition of its era. Bronze pieces were often the primary production run, with silver reserved for presentation copies and white metal for budget editions. In 1930, MACO's owner Clyde Curlee Trees co-founded the Society of Medalists, launching the longest-running art medal series in American history with 129 issues through 1995 by sculptors including Laura Gardin Fraser and Paul Manship. So-called dollars — defined as privately issued medals approximately the size of a silver dollar — encompass one of the most diverse and historically rich collecting fields in American numismatics. Mid-20th-century local commemoratives reflect the suburban expansion and civic optimism of postwar America, with communities from coast to coast marking centennials, sesquicentennials, and other milestones with specially produced medals.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-589 are scarce. Distribution was usually limited to event attendees and local residents, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-589; PCGS #643005