1890 So-Called Dollar HK-617a, Civil War Monument

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as HK-617A, this 1890 so-called dollar commemorates Civil War Monument in Pennsylvania. 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. This bronze so-called dollar represents the standard commemorative medal composition of its era. Bronze pieces were often the primary production run, with silver reserved for presentation copies and white metal for budget editions. 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. Pennsylvania's role as the cradle of American independence and its position as a major industrial state generated a rich tradition of commemorative medal production, with Philadelphia serving as both the political and medallic capital of the early republic. Harold Hibler and Charles Kappen spent decades cataloging American dollar-sized medals, creating a reference work that transformed a scattered collecting field into an organized numismatic specialty. 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. Examples of HK-617A are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-617A; PCGS #643085