1887 So-Called Dollar HK-611, Soldiers & Sailors Monument

Coin Details

Auction Record

$192 MS60PL 04-13-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1887 local commemorative so-called dollar (HK-611) honors Soldiers & Sailors Monumt in Connecticut. The dedication of public buildings, bridges, and monuments provided American communities with occasions for celebration and the production of commemorative medals, documenting the physical transformation of the American landscape. 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. 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. 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

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Gilded Age survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-611 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-611; PCGS #643064