1908 So-Called Dollar HK-803, Thomas Elder, Dollar

Coin Details

Description

HK-803 is a numismatic medal from the prolific workshop of Thomas L. Elder, the legendary New York coin dealer who cataloged 292 auction sales between 1903 and 1940. For the 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York City, Elder commissioned the Hendrik Hudson Daalder and Robert Fulton Dollar series, designed by Frank C. Higgins, modeled by J. Edouard Roine, and struck by Medallic Art Company. The silver version (HK-369, 38mm, 75-100 struck) and aluminum version (HK-370, 200+ struck) are among Elder's most sought-after productions. Thomas Lindsay Elder (1874-1948) was born in Dayton, Pennsylvania, attended the Park Institute in Allegheny and Beaver College, and worked as a court stenographer and telegrapher before settling in New York City. He opened his dealership at 32 East 23rd Street in May 1904 (later moving to 8-10 West 37th Street), began collecting coins at age 13, joined the American Numismatic Association in 1899, and co-founded the New York Numismatic Club in 1908. Elder conducted 292 auction sales between 1903 and 1940, establishing himself as one of the most prolific American numismatic catalogers of his era. 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

Thomas Elder numismatic so-called dollars from the HK-798 to HK-819 range survive in varying quantities. Various compositions exist, with silver being the rarest and base metals more commonly encountered. The lettered variants (a, b, c suffixes) are generally scarcer than the primary types. Elder's pieces are actively collected both as so-called dollars and as examples of early 20th-century American numismatic entrepreneurship.

Cross References

HK-803; PCGS #643526