1861 HK-11, Bombardment of Fort Sumter-Type 1 Dollar

Coin Details

Description

Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor was where the armed forces of North and South first clashed, and this white metal medal records the bombardment of April 1861. The obverse shows the fort under fire, with "Bombardment of Fort Sumter" above and "April 12 & 13--1861" below. The reverse of this first type tells the story in twelve lines: the fort was evacuated "with all the honors of war" after Major R. Anderson's garrison of 75 men held out through 30 hours of shelling by 8,000 South Carolina troops. Hibler and Kappen could not trace who issued it, but the unsigned dies appear to be the work of George Hampden Lovett. HK-11 is white metal, 34 mm; the same type exists in brass (HK-11b), copper (HK-11c) and silver (HK-11f).

Cross References

HK-11; PCGS #642025; NGC #850019