1915 So-Called Dollar HK-664, Chicopee 25th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

Designated HK-664 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1915 piece commemorates Chicopee 25th Anniversary in Massachusetts. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. This bronze so-called dollar represents the standard commemorative medal composition of its era. Bronze pieces were often the primary production run, with silver reserved for presentation copies and white metal for budget editions. After relocations from Manhattan to Danbury, Connecticut (1972), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1991), and Dayton, Nevada (1997), the company's archive of 50,000 items including 20,000 dies was rescued by the American Numismatic Society in 2018. Massachusetts communities have produced commemorative medals since the earliest days of the republic, with the state's concentration of colonial history, maritime heritage, and intellectual achievement providing rich subject matter. 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. 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

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the Progressive Era survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-664 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-664; PCGS #643202