1939 HK-490a, Bronze Tower of the Sun Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

$120 MS65 04-26-2022 Stack's Bowers

Description

HK-490a is a 1939 so-called dollar commemorating Tower of the Sun. Philadelphia's 1926 Sesqui-Centennial suffered rain on 107 of its 184 open days, drawing only 6.4 million visitors against a projected 50 million, though it produced an 80-foot replica of the Liberty Bell illuminated by 26,000 light bulbs. Struck in bronze, this piece combines durability with an attractive warm tone that deepens with age into a rich chocolate-brown patina. Bronze was the preferred composition for many commemorative medals due to its excellent detail retention. 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. The Hibler-Kappen catalog has been updated and expanded since its 1963 first edition, with later researchers adding newly discovered varieties and extending coverage into the modern era. This piece is a variant of HK-490, 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-490a are common to moderately 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-490a; PCGS #644064; NGC #850805