1933 HK-463, Century of Progress Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$216 MS65 09-21-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

Designated HK-463 in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1933 piece commemorates Century of Progress. San Francisco's 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition occupied Treasure Island, a 400-acre artificial island built from 300,000 tons of boulders and dredged sand, later converted to Naval Station Treasure Island. 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. Later exposition medals were produced by a mix of U.S. Mint issues and private manufacturers, with many struck in lower quantities than the great 19th-century fairs. The Century of Progress and New York World's Fair generated the most varieties. 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.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-463 are scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Interwar period commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-463; PCGS #643997