1939 HK-488F, 10k Gold Golden Gate Int'l Expo Dollar

Coin Details

Description

Designated HK-488F in the Hibler-Kappen catalog, this 1939 piece commemorates 10k Golden Gate Int'l Expo. The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle celebrated the development of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, featuring Olmsted Brothers landscape design on the University of Washington campus. Struck in gold, this piece represents the most prestigious and rarest composition for so-called dollars. Gold strikings were reserved for presentation copies, typically produced in quantities of fewer than a dozen for dignitaries and officials. Miscellaneous national commemorative medals were produced by a wide range of manufacturers, from the U.S. Mint to local die-sinkers, covering subjects from presidential inaugurations to infrastructure milestones. 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-488, distinguished by differences in composition, die state, or striking characteristics that merit a separate catalog entry in the Hibler-Kappen reference.

Rarity Notes

HK-488F is rare to extremely rare in the numismatic market. Production quantities for interwar period commemorative medals were typically modest, and survival rates vary significantly based on the original distribution method and the material's durability.

Cross References

HK-488F; PCGS #626675; NGC #851652