1901 HK-290a, McKinley Assassination Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$312 MS61 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-290a) from 1901 celebrates McKinley Assassination. The 1898 Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha, Nebraska showcased western development across 180 acres, with exhibits from 24 states featuring agriculture, mining, and manufacturing achievements of the American West. 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. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-290, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

So-called dollars from the early 20th century were produced in limited quantities for distribution at events or through numismatic channels. Examples of HK-290a are scarce, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-290a; PCGS #642677; NGC #850509