1939-1940 So-Called Dollar HK-493a, Lincoln - Brilliant

Coin Details

Auction Record

$780 MS65 03-31-2021 Stack's Bowers

Description

Designated HK-493a in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1939 piece commemorates Lincoln - Brilliant. Chicago's 1933-1934 Century of Progress drew 48.8 million visitors across two seasons with its modernist Art Deco architecture along Lake Michigan, becoming the first international fair in American history to pay for itself. Struck in bronze, this piece showcases the detailed die work typical of American commemorative medals. Bronze's natural patina gives aged examples an appealing warm-brown surface that collectors prize. Later exposition medals were produced by a mix of U.S. Mint issues and private manufacturers, with many struck in lower quantities than the great 19th-century fairs. The Century of Progress and New York World's Fair generated the most varieties. So-called dollars — defined as privately issued medals approximately the size of a silver dollar — encompass one of the most diverse and historically rich collecting fields in American numismatics. This piece is a variant of HK-493, 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-493a are 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-493a; PCGS #644068; NGC #850815