1876 Silver So-Called Dollar GW-889, HK-105, White Plains

Coin Details

Auction Record

$7,200 MS64 04-03-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-105) from 1876 celebrates White Plains. The Centennial generated the largest single group of so-called dollars in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, with medals struck by the U.S. Mint, private manufacturers, and foreign exhibitors in dozens of metallic compositions. Struck in silver, this piece represents a premium metallic composition among so-called dollars. Silver examples were typically produced in smaller quantities than base metal issues and command strong collector interest. 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.

Rarity Notes

Silver strikings of HK-105 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-105; PCGS #642259; NGC #850197