1876 So-Called Dollar HK-590, Bridgeport Board of Trade

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as HK-590, this 1876 so-called dollar commemorates Bridgeport Board of Trade in Connecticut. The dedication of public buildings, bridges, and monuments provided American communities with occasions for celebration and the production of commemorative medals, documenting the physical transformation of the American landscape. The bronze composition of this piece reflects the medallic tradition dating to classical antiquity. Bronze so-called dollars typically survive in better condition than white metal examples due to the alloy's greater hardness and durability. American commemorative medal manufacturers ranged from the U.S. Mint to small regional die-sinkers, with each firm bringing distinctive artistic approaches and production capabilities to the medallic arts. 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. Local commemorative medals from before 1900 reflect an era when American communities were actively shaping their civic identities, with medal production serving as both celebration and assertion of permanence.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Gilded Age survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-590 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-590; PCGS #643007