1957 Bronze So-Called Dollar HK-708, King William County Circuit Court

Coin Details

Description

The 1957 King William County so-called dollar (HK-708) is a local commemorative piece in Virginia. Personal commemorative so-called dollars provide a medallic portrait gallery of Americans whose achievements merited recognition through specially struck pieces, preserving the faces and stories of notable figures. 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. After relocations from Manhattan to Danbury, Connecticut (1972), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1991), and Dayton, Nevada (1997), the company's archive of 50,000 items including 20,000 dies was rescued by the American Numismatic Society in 2018. Collectors of so-called dollars pursue pieces by exposition, metal type, engraver, geographic region, or historical theme, with complete sets of certain exposition groups being particularly prized accomplishments. 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

Examples of HK-708 are common to moderately scarce. Distribution was usually limited to event attendees and local residents, with surviving pieces ranging from well-worn pocket pieces to carefully preserved specimens.

Cross References

HK-708; PCGS #643314