(1876) White Metal So-Called Dollar GW-887, HK-101, Holed Harlem Plains

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 MS67DMPL 08-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

HK-101 is a 1876 so-called dollar commemorating Holed Harlem Plains. New York's Crystal Palace exhibition of 1853-1854, designed by Georg Carstensen and Charles Gildemeister in a Greek cross plan with a 100-foot dome, was America's first international exhibition venue before fire destroyed it on October 5, 1858. This white metal piece is part of the most common compositional category for so-called dollars of its era. Despite being the most affordable composition at issue, white metal's softness means well-preserved examples can be elusive. Early commemorative medals were produced in small quantities by private die sinkers, with white metal and copper being the most common compositions. Distribution was typically limited to event participants and subscribers. The Hibler-Kappen catalog has been updated and expanded since its 1963 first edition, with later researchers adding newly discovered varieties and extending coverage into the modern era.

Rarity Notes

White Metal strikings of HK-101 are moderately 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-101; PCGS #642253; NGC #850193