1876 Silver So-Called Dollar GW-884, HK-90, Moore's Creek Bridge

Coin Details

Auction Record

$4,800 MS65+ 11-18-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

HK-90 is a 1876 so-called dollar commemorating Moore's Creek Bridge. 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 silver composition of this piece places it among the most desirable examples in its HK series. Silver so-called dollars were often presentation pieces or special collector issues struck in smaller quantities. 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. Barber's engraving style combined classical European training with American patriotic iconography, producing medals of exceptional technical quality. 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

So-called dollars from the post-Civil War era were produced in limited quantities for distribution at events or through numismatic channels. Silver examples of HK-90 are scarce to rare, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-90; PCGS #642234; NGC #850180