1876 So-Called Dollar HK-87a, Horticultural Building

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as HK-87a, this 1876 so-called dollar honors Horticultural Building. The Women's Pavilion was the first building at any international exposition funded, designed, managed, and filled entirely by women, showcasing female inventors, artists, and entrepreneurs from across the nation. Bronze examples of so-called dollars offer collectors an excellent balance of affordability, condition, and aesthetic appeal. The alloy's hardness produces sharp strikes with fine detail that survives handling better than softer metals. 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. Morgan's artistic legacy extends beyond coinage to include numerous commemorative medals that showcase his distinctive portrait and eagle designs. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-87, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

Strikings of HK-87a are scarce. 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-87a; PCGS #642220; NGC #850171