1892-1893 So-Called Dollar HK-239, 93 Il Columbus Statue Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64PL 06-13-2018 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

Cataloged as HK-239, this 1892 so-called dollar honors 93 Il Columbus Statue. The 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago's Jackson Park was one of the most spectacular events in American history, attracting over 27 million visitors to Daniel Burnham's neoclassical White City along the Lake Michigan shore. 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. 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 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.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-239 are scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Gilded Age commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-239; PCGS #642583; NGC #850431