1893 HK-178, World's Columbian Exposition Dollar

Coin Details

Description

This 1893 so-called dollar (HK-178) commemorates World's Columbian Exposition. 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. 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. Collectors of so-called dollars pursue pieces by exposition, metal type, engraver, geographic region, or historical theme, with complete sets of certain exposition groups being particularly prized accomplishments.

Rarity Notes

Strikings of HK-178 are scarce. Gilded Age medals were often distributed at events, with many entering circulation as pocket pieces rather than being preserved as collectibles.

Cross References

HK-178; PCGS #642456; NGC #850313