1890 Silver So-Called Dollar HK-617b, Allegheny City Semi-Centennial

Coin Details

Description

Designated HK-617B in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1890 piece commemorates Allegheny Semi-Centennial in Pennsylvania. Community centennial celebrations followed a well-established pattern: a planning committee organized events, commissioned a commemorative medal, and distributed pieces to attendees as lasting souvenirs of the celebration. As a silver so-called dollar, this piece occupies the top tier of its series in terms of both metallic value and collector desirability. Silver strikings generally survive in lower numbers due to their limited original production. 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 Philadelphia's founding by William Penn in 1682 to Pittsburgh's industrial revolution, Pennsylvania communities have marked their historical milestones with commemorative medals that document the Commonwealth's central role in American history. So-called dollars — defined as privately issued medals approximately the size of a silver dollar — encompass one of the most diverse and historically rich collecting fields in American numismatics. 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-617, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Gilded Age survive in varying quantities. Silver examples of HK-617B are scarce to rare in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-617B; PCGS #643086