1897 HK-274, Tennessee Centennial Expo Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$168 MS63 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

The 1897 Tennessee Centennial Expo so-called dollar (HK-274) is a commemorative piece from the Revolutionary War Commemoratives series. The centennial movement of the 1870s-1890s produced medals for the 100th anniversaries of Revolutionary War battles from Lexington and Concord (1875) through Yorktown (1881) and the Constitution's ratification (1887-1890). 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. Revolutionary War centennial medals were produced both by the U.S. Mint (official congressional issues) and private die sinkers. Many were distributed at ceremony sites to attendees and dignitaries. 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-274 are scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Gilded Age commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-274; PCGS #642634; NGC #850483