1890 Copper So-Called Dollar HK-732a, San Francisco Chronicle 25th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-732A) from 1890 celebrates San Francisco Chronicle in California. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. This copper so-called dollar exemplifies the traditional American commemorative medal. Copper's excellent strike characteristics allow even small design details to be rendered with precision. 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. California's dramatic history — from the Gold Rush through the San Francisco earthquake to its emergence as America's most populous state — generated commemorative medals documenting the rapid transformation of the Pacific Coast. 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. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-732, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics.

Rarity Notes

HK-732A 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-732A; PCGS #643369