(1876) White Metal So-Called Dollar GW-891, HK-113, Trenton

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 MS64+ 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1876 so-called dollar (HK-113) commemorates Trenton. Governor DeWitt Clinton's 1825 'Wedding of the Waters' ceremony — pouring Lake Erie water into New York Harbor — celebrated the Erie Canal's 363-mile route from Albany to Buffalo, the engineering marvel that reduced western freight costs by over 90 percent. White metal so-called dollars were the workhorses of the commemorative medal industry, produced in greater numbers than precious metal versions and distributed widely at fairs, expositions, and public events. 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. 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

Examples of HK-113 are moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Post-Civil War era commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-113; PCGS #642273; NGC #850205