1945 So-Called Dollar HK-913, WW II Victory Four Freedoms Gilt

Coin Details

Auction Record

$129 MS62 02-22-2013 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1945 World War II Victory medal (HK-913) is a gilt piece cataloged in the monetary section of the Hibler-Kappen so-called dollar reference. World War II Victory so-called dollars commemorate the Allied triumph over the Axis powers, joining the outpouring of commemorative material that followed Germany's surrender on May 8, 1945, and Japan's on September 2, 1945. The Four Freedoms themes — freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear — articulated by President Roosevelt in his January 1941 address to Congress, appear on several of these pieces. So-called dollars acquired their name because they are not true dollar coins but rather privately issued medals that approximate the size and weight of U.S. silver dollars. The collecting specialty emerged in the early 20th century and was formalized by the Hibler-Kappen catalog, which organized hundreds of diverse pieces — from exposition medals to political tokens to private monetary experiments — into a coherent collecting framework.

Rarity Notes

This 1945 so-called dollar is generally scarce in the numismatic market. Gilt examples are collected by specialists in so-called dollars and American medallic art.

Cross References

HK-913; PCGS #643747