1901 HK-289, Pan-American Expo Brass Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$552 MS67 03-25-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-289) from 1901 celebrates Pan-American Expo. President William McKinley was assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition on September 6, 1901, when anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him during a public reception in the Temple of Music; McKinley died eight days later. The brass composition gives this piece a warm golden tone that distinguishes it from bronze and copper versions. Brass commemorative medals were produced in moderate quantities and tend to survive in better condition than white metal issues. Trans-Mississippi and Pan-American medals were struck by both official exposition mints and private concessionaires. The McKinley assassination generated additional memorial medal production. 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

HK-289 is common to moderately scarce in the numismatic market. Production quantities for early 20th century commemorative medals were typically modest, and survival rates vary significantly based on the original distribution method and the material's durability.

Cross References

HK-289; PCGS #513228; NGC #850507