1882 White Metal So-Called Dollar HK-140, Penn'S House & City Hall

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS62PL 06-10-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-140) from 1882 celebrates Penn'S House & City Hall. Regional commemoratives from this era reflect the Gilded Age's enthusiasm for civic identity, with communities large and small commissioning medals to assert their place in the American narrative. 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. State and regional medals were typically commissioned by local committees and struck by private manufacturers. Silver and white metal compositions predominate. The HK numbering system established by Hibler and Kappen in 1963 brought order to hundreds of previously uncataloged American commemorative medals, many of which had been ignored by mainstream numismatic references.

Rarity Notes

White Metal strikings of HK-140 are moderately scarce. Gilded Age medals were often distributed at events, with many entering circulation as pocket pieces rather than being preserved as collectibles.

Cross References

HK-140; PCGS #642374; NGC #850255