1893 HK-158, Aluminum, Chicago World's Columbian Expo Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$374 MS66 02-03-2009 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

HK-158 is a 1893 so-called dollar commemorating Chicago World's Columbian Expo. 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. The aluminum composition represents a modern departure from the traditional bronze, copper, and white metal palette of earlier so-called dollars. Aluminum's silvery-white appearance and durability made it practical for mass production. 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). 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.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-158 are moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Gilded Age commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-158; PCGS #642426; NGC #850279