1897 HK-834, Bickford Dollar Aluminum, Bronze Center Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$240 MS64 10-21-2011 Scotsman

Description

This 1897 Bickford Dollar (HK-834) is a bronze piece cataloged in the monetary section of the Hibler-Kappen so-called dollar reference. Dana Bickford, a New York inventor and entrepreneur, proposed a revolutionary multi-denomination gold coin system in 1897. His concept involved a single coin design that could serve as legal tender in multiple countries by incorporating exchange rates directly into the design through a rotating dial mechanism showing equivalent values in different national currencies. The Bickford Dollar series (HK-833 through HK-837) represents one of the most imaginative proposals in American monetary history. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen as 'So-Called Dollars: An Illustrated Standard Catalog,' provides the systematic numbering system (HK numbers) used to identify and classify hundreds of American medals approximately the size of a silver dollar. The catalog has been revised and expanded in subsequent editions, with Jeff Shevlin's contributions significantly expanding the known census.

Rarity Notes

This 1897 so-called dollar is generally scarce in the numismatic market. Aluminum examples are collected by specialists in so-called dollars and American medallic art.

Cross References

HK-834; PCGS #643572