1950 Bronze So-Called Dollar HK-503, Official Dollar CA Statehood Centennial

Coin Details

Auction Record

$470 MS62 11-16-2012 Stack's Bowers

Description

This commemorative so-called dollar (HK-503) from 1950 celebrates Official CA Statehood Centennial. The 1939-1940 New York World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, organized around 'Building the World of Tomorrow,' featured the 610-foot Trylon spire, the 180-foot Perisphere, and introduced television and nylon to the American public. 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. So-called dollars — defined as privately issued medals approximately the size of a silver dollar — encompass one of the most diverse and historically rich collecting fields in American numismatics.

Rarity Notes

Examples of HK-503 are common to moderately scarce among so-called dollar collectors. Post-war era commemorative medals survive in varying numbers depending on original mintage and subsequent preservation.

Cross References

HK-503; PCGS #644088; NGC #850827