1892 So-Called Dollar HK-628, Phillipsburg Columbian

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as HK-628, this 1892 so-called dollar commemorates Phillipsburg Columbian in New Jersey. Personal commemorative so-called dollars provide a medallic portrait gallery of Americans whose achievements merited recognition through specially struck pieces, preserving the faces and stories of notable figures. 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. Whitehead-Hoag's Newark factory produced millions of commemorative pieces during the company's seven-decade history, including medals for world's fairs, presidential campaigns, and military 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-628 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-628; PCGS #643108