1876 Bronze So-Called Dollar GW-884, HK-91, Moore's Creek Bridge

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,440 MS65BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1876 so-called dollar (HK-91) commemorates Moore's Creek Bridge. Machinery Hall covered 13 acres and housed the 1,400-horsepower Corliss steam engine, standing 70 feet tall and weighing 650 tons, which powered all exhibits through five miles of overhead belts and shafts. 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. The U.S. Mint struck official Centennial medals designed by William Barber, while private firms produced hundreds of additional varieties. The Centennial group is the largest in the HK catalog. William Barber designed the official U.S. Mint medals for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, establishing the standard for American exposition medal artistry. 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.

Rarity Notes

So-called dollars from the post-Civil War era were produced in limited quantities for distribution at events or through numismatic channels. Bronze examples of HK-91 are common to moderately scarce, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-91; PCGS #642235; NGC #850181