1882 So-Called Dollar HK-592, Baltimore Festival

Coin Details

Description

Designated HK-592 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1882 piece commemorates Baltimore Festival in Maryland. The tradition of issuing commemorative medals at fairs and expositions extends from the great world's fairs of the 19th century down to local county fairs, reflecting the American enthusiasm for celebration through medallic art. This bronze so-called dollar represents the standard commemorative medal composition of its era. Bronze pieces were often the primary production run, with silver reserved for presentation copies and white metal for budget editions. The production of commemorative medals in America supported a network of skilled engravers, die sinkers, and press operators whose craft combined artistic sensibility with industrial precision. 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. 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

HK-592 is scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Local commemorative medals from the Gilded Age were typically produced in limited quantities for distribution at the celebration event.

Cross References

HK-592; PCGS #643012