1960 So-Called Dollar HK-714, Fresno 75th Anniversary

Coin Details

Description

The 1960 Fresno Diamond Jubilee so-called dollar (HK-714) is a local commemorative piece in California. Biographical commemorative medals document the lives and contributions of individuals who shaped their communities, with portraits and inscriptions creating lasting tributes in metallic form. The bronze composition of this piece reflects the medallic tradition dating to classical antiquity. Bronze so-called dollars typically survive in better condition than white metal examples due to the alloy's greater hardness and durability. 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. California's dramatic history — from the Gold Rush through the San Francisco earthquake to its emergence as America's most populous state — generated commemorative medals documenting the rapid transformation of the Pacific Coast. 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. Mid-20th-century local commemoratives reflect the suburban expansion and civic optimism of postwar America, with communities from coast to coast marking centennials, sesquicentennials, and other milestones with specially produced medals.

Rarity Notes

Local commemorative so-called dollars from the mid-20th century survive in varying quantities. Examples of HK-714 are scarce in the numismatic market.

Cross References

HK-714; PCGS #643325