1911 So-Called Dollar HK-850, AK Souvenir Gold

Coin Details

Auction Record

$828 MS61 05-31-2012 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

Cataloged as HK-850, this 1911 Alaska Gold piece features denominations referencing the placer miner's method of measuring gold dust by pinching it between thumb and forefinger. 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 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. Each HK number represents a distinct combination of design, composition, and die state, creating a collecting framework that rewards careful study and attention to detail. The monetary so-called dollars occupy a special niche within this framework, as they represent not just commemorative art but actual experiments in private coinage, political advocacy through medallic form, and commentary on the great monetary debates that shaped American economic history.

Rarity Notes

Alaska Souvenir Gold pieces from the 1911 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-850; PCGS #643588