1892 So-Called Dollar HK-625, Buncombe Centennial

Coin Details

Description

This 1892 local commemorative so-called dollar (HK-625) honors Buncombe Centennial in North Carolina. Centennial celebrations were among the most significant civic events in American communities, marking 100 years since a city's founding, incorporation, or other milestone with parades, ceremonies, and the issuance of commemorative medals. The bronze composition of this piece reflects the medallic tradition dating to classical antiquity. Bronze so-called dollars typically survive in better condition than white metal examples due to the alloy's greater hardness and durability. As a major American badge and medal manufacturer, Whitehead-Hoag combined industrial-scale production with competent artistic design, making commemorative pieces accessible to a broad range of organizations and events. 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. Pre-1900 local commemorative medals are among the most historically significant in the so-called dollar series, documenting the celebrations of communities still within living memory of their founding or early settlement periods.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Gilded Age survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-625 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-625; PCGS #643101