1876 HK-69a, Silver, Fountain Dollar U.S. Centennial Expo Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$2,340 MS63 06-13-2018 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

Cataloged as HK-69a, this 1876 so-called dollar honors Fountain 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. This silver striking represents the premium composition for so-called dollars of its era. Silver pieces were typically available to subscribers or sold at higher prices than the more widely distributed base metal versions. 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. George Morgan, famous for his Liberty Head silver dollar design, also contributed to exposition medal production during his long tenure at the U.S. Mint. Collectors of so-called dollars pursue pieces by exposition, metal type, engraver, geographic region, or historical theme, with complete sets of certain exposition groups being particularly prized accomplishments. This piece is a variant of HK-69, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings of HK-69a are scarce to rare. Post-Civil War era medals were often distributed at events, with many entering circulation as pocket pieces rather than being preserved as collectibles.

Cross References

HK-69a; PCGS #642162; NGC #851604