1894 So-Called Dollar HK-634, Attleboro Bicentennial

Coin Details

Description

This 1894 local commemorative so-called dollar (HK-634) honors Attleboro Bicentennial 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. Struck in bronze, this piece showcases the detailed die work typical of American commemorative medals. Bronze's natural patina gives aged examples an appealing warm-brown surface that collectors prize. 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. 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. 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. Local commemorative medals from before 1900 reflect an era when American communities were actively shaping their civic identities, with medal production serving as both celebration and assertion of permanence.

Rarity Notes

HK-634 is scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Local commemorative medals from the Gilded Age were typically produced in limited quantities for distribution at the celebration event.

Cross References

HK-634; PCGS #643127