1917 So-Called Dollar HK-889, WWI Issue

Coin Details

Description

HK-889 is a World War I commemorative from the Elder WWI series, in which the legendary New York dealer Thomas L. Elder documented American involvement in the First World War through medallic art. The series divides into three subcategories: peace medals commemorating the November 1918 Armistice and expressing hope for lasting peace; victory medals celebrating the Allied triumph in the Great War and the subsequent Versailles negotiations; and 'Good Luck' medals reflecting wartime superstitious practices, serving as both patriotic souvenirs and talismans for soldiers and their families during a period of profound national anxiety. Elder's WWI medals ranged from straightforward patriotic designs featuring flags, eagles, and shield motifs to more elaborate allegorical compositions. The variety in composition — brass, bronze, aluminum, copper, silver, and antiqued copper — reflects both Elder's commercial instinct to offer pieces at multiple price points and his interest in creating distinct collectible varieties. The lettered suffixes (a, b, c, d) in the HK catalog typically represent different metal compositions of the same die design. 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

Thomas Elder WWI so-called dollars survive in varying numbers across the extensive series. Various compositions exist across the series, with silver being the rarest. Some HK numbers in the Elder WWI range are quite rare, while others are more readily available. The lettered variants (b, c, d suffixes) typically represent rarer die states or compositions.

Cross References

HK-889; PCGS #643699