1899 So-Called Dollar HK-846, AK Souvenir Gold

Coin Details

Description

HK-846 is an Alaska Gold Souvenir from the series of small gold tokens produced between 1897 and 1911 by M.E. Hart (Mary Elizabeth Hart), later sold by Farran Zerbe at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. The Alaska Gold Souvenirs occupy a unique niche in the so-called dollar catalog as among the smallest and most precious-metal-intensive pieces in the series. Their connection to the Klondike Gold Rush — one of the great adventure stories of American history — combined with genuine gold content and extreme rarity for many varieties makes them highly sought after by collectors of both so-called dollars and Western Americana. The Alaska Gold Souvenirs (HK-838 through HK-851) are small gold tokens produced between 1897 and 1911, capitalizing on the public fascination with Alaska gold during the Klondike Gold Rush era. Struck in low-karat gold (approximately 14 karat) at a diminutive 13mm diameter, these pieces feature unusual denominations including 'One Pinch' and 'Half Pinch' — references to measuring placer gold dust by pinching it between thumb and forefinger. The Pinch series (1897-1901) displays Indian head designs facing left or right with varying star counts, while the 1911 Parka Head series commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the first gold discovery in Alaska in 1861. The so-called dollar collecting community has grown significantly since the Hibler-Kappen catalog's initial publication, with specialized dealers, dedicated reference works, and an active collector base supporting a market that values historical significance, artistic merit, rarity, and condition. Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and other major numismatic auction houses regularly feature so-called dollars in their sales.

Rarity Notes

Alaska Souvenir Gold pieces from the 1899 period are scarce to rare, with gold content ensuring that many were eventually melted. The HK-numbered pieces represent the cataloged so-called dollar-sized variants of a much larger family of Alaska gold souvenirs. Gold examples are particularly desirable to collectors of both so-called dollars and Alaska territorial numismatics.

Cross References

HK-846; PCGS #643584