1939-1940 So-Called Dollar HK-493e, Lincoln Dollar -

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-493e) from 1939 celebrates Lincoln -. The Century of Progress featured the Sky Ride, transporting visitors 218 feet above the lagoon in enclosed cars suspended between two 628-foot steel towers, and pioneered windowless buildings using prefabricated Masonite and plywood. Bronze examples of so-called dollars offer collectors an excellent balance of affordability, condition, and aesthetic appeal. The alloy's hardness produces sharp strikes with fine detail that survives handling better than softer metals. 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. Harold Hibler and Charles Kappen spent decades cataloging American dollar-sized medals, creating a reference work that transformed a scattered collecting field into an organized numismatic specialty. 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-493e 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-493e; PCGS #644072; NGC #850809