1892-1893 So-Called Dollar HK-222b, Liberty Head High Relief

Coin Details

Auction Record

$360 MS61 09-20-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1892 so-called dollar (HK-222b) commemorates Liberty Head High Relief. George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. built the original Ferris Wheel for the Midway Plaisance, standing 264 feet tall with 36 cars that each held 60 passengers, as the American answer to the Eiffel Tower. 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. Both the U.S. Mint and numerous private firms struck Columbian medals. Charles Barber designed official mint issues. The exposition also generated the first U.S. commemorative coins (Columbian half dollar). Charles Barber's tenure as Chief Engraver coincided with the golden age of American expositions, and he designed official U.S. Mint medals for the Columbian, Louisiana Purchase, and Panama-Pacific fairs. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today. This piece is a variant of HK-222, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

So-called dollars from the Gilded Age were produced in limited quantities for distribution at events or through numismatic channels. Examples of HK-222b are scarce, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-222b; PCGS #642540; NGC #852364