1950 So-Called Dollar HK-742, General Outdoor Advertising Co

Coin Details

Description

This commemorative medal (HK-742) from 1950 celebrates General Outdoor Ad Co in Illinois. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. 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. Over its century-long history, the Medallic Art Company produced America's most prestigious awards including the Pulitzer Prize, Peabody Award, Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and presidential inaugural medals for eleven presidents. Illinois communities, centered on Chicago's commercial and industrial growth, produced commemorative medals documenting the state's transformation from frontier territory to one of America's most important industrial and agricultural states. 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. The postwar boom of 1950-1976 was the golden age of local commemorative medal production, with the Heraldic Art Company and other manufacturers producing hundreds of pieces for community celebrations across America.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the mid-20th century survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-742 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-742; PCGS #643405