1949 So-Called Dollar HK-501, Rush Centennial

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-501) from 1949 celebrates Rush Centennial. The 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition in Dallas's Fair Park produced over 50 Art Deco buildings, many of which survive today, while providing 10,000 jobs and a $50 million economic boost during the Depression. 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, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, systematically organized American so-called dollars for the first time, assigning HK numbers that remain the standard reference today.

Rarity Notes

Strikings of HK-501 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-501; PCGS #644086; NGC #850825