1886 White Metal So-Called Dollar HK-609, Springfield 250th Anniversary

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 11-20-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-609) from 1886 celebrates Springfield, 250th Anniv. in Massachusetts. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. 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. American commemorative medal manufacturers ranged from the U.S. Mint to small regional die-sinkers, with each firm bringing distinctive artistic approaches and production capabilities to the medallic arts. Massachusetts communities have produced commemorative medals since the earliest days of the republic, with the state's concentration of colonial history, maritime heritage, and intellectual achievement providing rich subject matter. 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. Pre-1900 local commemorative medals are among the most historically significant in the so-called dollar series, documenting the celebrations of communities still within living memory of their founding or early settlement periods.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Gilded Age survive in varying quantities. White Metal examples of HK-609 are moderately scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-609; PCGS #643062