1876 HK-29a, US Centennial Expo-Liberty Bell Dollar

Coin Details

Description

HK-29a is a 1876 so-called dollar commemorating US Centennial Expo-Liberty Bell. President Grant and Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil jointly started the Corliss Engine on opening day, May 10, 1876, while Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone and the Remington typewriter made its public debut. Bronze examples of so-called dollars offer collectors an excellent balance of affordability, condition, and aesthetic appeal. The alloy's hardness produces sharp strikes with fine detail that survives handling better than softer metals. 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. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-29, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-29a are scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Post-Civil War era commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation. Variant types are generally scarcer than the primary issue.

Cross References

HK-29a; PCGS #642077; NGC #851681