1933 HK-870, Century of Progress Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$480 MS66 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Cataloged as HK-870, 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. A Century of Progress International Exposition, held in Chicago during the summers of 1933 and 1934, commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the city's incorporation in 1833. Formally opened on May 27, 1933, by U.S. Postmaster General James Farley in a four-hour ceremony at Soldier Field, the fair drew 22,565,859 paid admissions in its first 170-day season and 48,769,227 total visitors across both seasons. The exposition generated medallic souvenirs cataloged in the Hibler-Kappen reference from HK-463 through HK-475 and HK-867 through HK-870. So-called dollars acquired their name because they are not true dollar coins but rather privately issued medals that approximate the size and weight of U.S. silver dollars. The collecting specialty emerged in the early 20th century and was formalized by the Hibler-Kappen catalog, which organized hundreds of diverse pieces — from exposition medals to political tokens to private monetary experiments — into a coherent collecting framework.

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-870; PCGS #643652