1899 So-Called Dollar HK-768, Us Grant Statue Unveiling

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-768) from 1899 celebrates Us Grant Statue Unveiling in Pennsylvania. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. This bronze so-called dollar represents the standard commemorative medal composition of its era. Bronze pieces were often the primary production run, with silver reserved for presentation copies and white metal for budget editions. 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. From Philadelphia's founding by William Penn in 1682 to Pittsburgh's industrial revolution, Pennsylvania communities have marked their historical milestones with commemorative medals that document the Commonwealth's central role in American history. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today. 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

HK-768 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-768; PCGS #643466