1938 Bronze So-Called Dollar HK-697, Delaware Tercentenary Delaware Tercentenary

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 MS64BN 07-29-2020 Heritage Auctions

Description

HK-697 is a 1938 so-called dollar commemorating Delaware Tercentenary in Delaware. Centennial medals served as tangible connections to a community's founding era, with designs typically featuring the city seal, important local landmarks, portraits of founding figures, or scenes from the community's early history. 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. The Medallic Art Company was founded in 1903 in Manhattan by Henri Weil, who learned the Janvier reduction machine technique in Paris and repurposed die-stamping equipment from Deitsch Brothers, a ladies' handbag manufacturer, for medal production. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today. Local commemoratives from the Depression and wartime era (1930-1950) reflect both economic hardship and patriotic fervor, with communities marking milestones despite — or perhaps because of — the challenging times.

Rarity Notes

HK-697 is common to moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Local commemorative medals from the interwar period were typically produced in limited quantities for distribution at the celebration event.

Cross References

HK-697; PCGS #643286