1876 HK-22, U.S. Centennial Expo Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS62 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

Designated HK-22 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1876 piece commemorates U.S. Centennial Expo. 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. William Barber designed the official U.S. Mint medals for the 1876 Centennial Exposition, establishing the standard for American exposition medal artistry. The Hibler-Kappen catalog has been updated and expanded since its 1963 first edition, with later researchers adding newly discovered varieties and extending coverage into the modern era.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-22 are 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-22; PCGS #642058; NGC #850059