1888 So-Called Dollar HK-614a, New Haven 250th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

Designated HK-614 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1888 piece commemorates New Haven 250th Anniv. in Connecticut. 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. 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. The production of commemorative medals in America supported a network of skilled engravers, die sinkers, and press operators whose craft combined artistic sensibility with industrial precision. 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

Examples of HK-614 are scarce. Distribution was usually limited to event attendees and local residents, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-614; PCGS #643076