1933 HK-867, Century of Progress Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$432 MS64 09-02-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Cataloged as HK-867, this piece commemorates A Century of Progress International Exposition, formally opened on May 27, 1933, at Soldier Field to celebrate the centennial of Chicago's incorporation. The official exposition medals were designed by Emil Robert Zettler, sculptor and head of the Industrial Art Section of the Chicago Art Institute, with dies produced by Medallic Art Company and striking by Crowe of Chicago. Corporate sponsors produced their own medallions: Ford Motor Company (HK-465/466), the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company's 'Carnival Dollar' (HK-464), and the state of Michigan (HK-473, struck in four metals including the exotic Dow Metal). The Colorado issues (HK-867 through HK-870) raised funds for the state's exposition participation. The HK numbering system groups so-called dollars broadly by type: exposition and commemorative pieces in the lower numbers, with monetary, miscellaneous, and later additions in higher ranges. Lettered suffixes (a, b, c, d) typically indicate variant compositions or die states of the same basic design, while entries above HK-900 include pieces added in later catalog supplements.

Rarity Notes

Century of Progress so-called dollars were produced in moderate quantities for distribution and sale at the 1933-1934 exposition. Surviving examples are generally available to collectors, though condition and specific variety affect desirability. The Century of Progress medals are actively collected as both so-called dollars and World's Fair memorabilia.

Cross References

HK-867; PCGS #643649