1912 So-Called Dollar HK-660, California Admission Day

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-660) from 1912 celebrates California Admission Day in Alabama. Personal commemorative so-called dollars provide a medallic portrait gallery of Americans whose achievements merited recognition through specially struck pieces, preserving the faces and stories of notable figures. 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. In 1930, MACO's owner Clyde Curlee Trees co-founded the Society of Medalists, launching the longest-running art medal series in American history with 129 issues through 1995 by sculptors including Laura Gardin Fraser and Paul Manship. So-called dollars — defined as privately issued medals approximately the size of a silver dollar — encompass one of the most diverse and historically rich collecting fields in American numismatics. The early 20th century saw a flourishing of local commemorative medal production, as improved manufacturing techniques and growing civic consciousness combined to make medal issuance accessible to communities of all sizes.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-660 are scarce. Distribution was usually limited to event attendees and local residents, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-660; PCGS #643189