1948 HK-499, NY Int'l Airport Dollar

Coin Details

Description

This 1948 so-called dollar (HK-499) commemorates NY Int'l Airport. San Francisco's 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition occupied Treasure Island, a 400-acre artificial island built from 300,000 tons of boulders and dredged sand, later converted to Naval Station Treasure Island. 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.

Rarity Notes

Strikings of HK-499 are scarce. Post-war era medals were often distributed at events, with many entering circulation as pocket pieces rather than being preserved as collectibles.

Cross References

HK-499; PCGS #644084; NGC #850823