1893 So-Called Dollar HK-633a, Randolph Centennial

Coin Details

Description

This 1893 local commemorative so-called dollar (HK-633) honors Randolph Centennial in Massachusetts. 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. The Whitehead-Hoag Company of Newark, New Jersey was one of America's largest manufacturers of badges, buttons, and commemorative medals from the 1890s through the mid-20th century, producing pieces for political campaigns, fraternal organizations, and civic celebrations. Massachusetts communities have produced commemorative medals since the earliest days of the republic, with the state's concentration of colonial history, maritime heritage, and intellectual achievement providing rich subject matter. 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. 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-633 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-633; PCGS #643126