1876 Bronze So-Called Dollar GW-887, HK-100, Harlem Plains

Coin Details

Auction Record

$900 MS64BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Designated HK-100 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1876 piece commemorates Harlem Plains. 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. The bronze composition of this piece reflects the medallic tradition dating to classical antiquity. Bronze so-called dollars typically survive in better condition than white metal examples due to the alloy's greater hardness and durability. 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

Examples of HK-100 are common to moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Post-Civil War era commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-100; PCGS #642250; NGC #850192