1886 Bronze So-Called Dollar HK-608, Springfield 250th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

The 1886 Springfield, 250th Anniv. so-called dollar (HK-608) is a local commemorative piece in Massachusetts. Personal commemorative so-called dollars provide a medallic portrait gallery of Americans whose achievements merited recognition through specially struck pieces, preserving the faces and stories of notable figures. The bronze composition of this piece reflects the medallic tradition dating to classical antiquity. Bronze so-called dollars typically survive in better condition than white metal examples due to the alloy's greater hardness and durability. Private medal manufacturers played a central role in American commemorative culture, providing communities with the means to create lasting metallic records of their most significant celebrations and milestones. From Plymouth Rock to Bunker Hill, Massachusetts' central role in American history generated numerous commemorative medals celebrating the milestones of communities that shaped the nation's founding and development. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today. 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-608 is common to moderately 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-608; PCGS #643058