1885 So-Called Dollar HK-145a, GW-1003 Bronze Copper Washington Monument

Coin Details

Auction Record

$3,360 SP66 11-18-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

Cataloged as HK-145a, this 1885 so-called dollar honors Washington Monument. Pennsylvania's bicentennial in 1882 produced several commemorative medals honoring William Penn's 1682 founding of the colony, while Vermont celebrated its own centennial of statehood in 1891. Struck in bronze, this piece combines durability with an attractive warm tone that deepens with age into a rich chocolate-brown patina. Bronze was the preferred composition for many commemorative medals due to its excellent detail retention. State and regional medals were typically commissioned by local committees and struck by private manufacturers. Silver and white metal compositions predominate. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-145, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

Bronze strikings of HK-145a are common to 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-145a; PCGS #642399; NGC #851918