1876 So-Called Dollar HK-84, Art Gallery Building

Coin Details

Auction Record

$204 MS62 08-11-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1876 Art Gallery Building so-called dollar (HK-84) is a commemorative piece from the U.S. Centennial Exposition series. President Grant and Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil jointly started the Corliss Engine on opening day, May 10, 1876, while Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone and the Remington typewriter made its public debut. Struck in bronze, this piece combines durability with an attractive warm tone that deepens with age into a rich chocolate-brown patina. Bronze was the preferred composition for many commemorative medals due to its excellent detail retention. 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. 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.

Rarity Notes

So-called dollars from the post-Civil War era were produced in limited quantities for distribution at events or through numismatic channels. Examples of HK-84 are scarce, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-84; PCGS #642214; NGC #850168