1876 Bronze So-Called Dollar GW-888, HK-103, Lake Champlain

Coin Details

Auction Record

$1,080 MS66BN 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

HK-103 is a 1876 so-called dollar commemorating Lake Champlain. Memorial Hall, built beneath a 150-foot dome in the Beaux-Arts style, housed the exposition's art gallery as the only permanent structure constructed for the fair and survives today in Fairmount Park. 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. 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. Morgan's artistic legacy extends beyond coinage to include numerous commemorative medals that showcase his distinctive portrait and eagle designs. Harold Hibler and Charles Kappen spent decades cataloging American dollar-sized medals, creating a reference work that transformed a scattered collecting field into an organized numismatic specialty.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-103 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-103; PCGS #642255; NGC #850195