1933 HK-468a, Century of Progress Brass So-Called Dollar

Coin Details

Description

This 1933 so-called dollar (HK-468a) commemorates Century of Progress. The 1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York commemorated Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage and Robert Fulton's 1807 steamboat, with naval parades, replicas of the Half Moon and Clermont, and commemorative medals. The brass composition gives this piece a warm golden tone that distinguishes it from bronze and copper versions. Brass commemorative medals were produced in moderate quantities and tend to survive in better condition than white metal issues. Miscellaneous national commemorative medals were produced by a wide range of manufacturers, from the U.S. Mint to local die-sinkers, covering subjects from presidential inaugurations to infrastructure milestones. 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. This piece is a variant of HK-468, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-468a are common to moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Interwar period commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation. Variant types are generally scarcer than the primary issue.

Cross References

HK-468a; PCGS #615569; NGC #850772