1933 HK-869, Century of Progress Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$132 AU55 03-05-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This Century of Progress so-called dollar (HK-869) was produced for Chicago's 1933-1934 World's Fair, which drew 48,769,227 total visitors across two seasons during the depths of the Great Depression. 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 Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen as 'So-Called Dollars: An Illustrated Standard Catalog,' provides the systematic numbering system (HK numbers) used to identify and classify hundreds of American medals approximately the size of a silver dollar. The catalog has been revised and expanded in subsequent editions, with Jeff Shevlin's contributions significantly expanding the known census.

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-869; PCGS #643651