1876 Silver So-Called Dollar GW-886, HK-96, Long Island

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,105 MS64 02-03-2009 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

Cataloged as HK-96, this 1876 so-called dollar honors Long Island. The 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park was the first official world's fair held in the United States, occupying 285 acres with over 200 buildings and attracting nearly 10 million visitors. As a silver so-called dollar, this piece occupies the top tier of its series in terms of both metallic value and collector desirability. Silver strikings generally survive in lower numbers due to their limited original production. 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. The HK numbering system established by Hibler and Kappen in 1963 brought order to hundreds of previously uncataloged American commemorative medals, many of which had been ignored by mainstream numismatic references.

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-96 are scarce to rare, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-96; PCGS #642244; NGC #850186