A "so-called dollar" is usually considered a medal measuring the diameter of a silver dollar and issued to commemorate a special event.
So-called dollar medals may be of official issue (produced by the U.S. Mint or state officials) or of purely private issue.
While many of the medals that fit the criteria measure between 37 and 39 millimeters, some collectible pieces fall outside those parameters, according to the author of a new reference work in progress on the series.
Two reference works devoted exclusively to the collecting of so-called dollar medals have been published to date, the most recent one being more than 40 years old.
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THE CENTENNIAL of the settlement of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia is celebrated on HK-347, issued for the Jamestown Tercentennial Exposition in 1907 in Norfolk County. Images courtesy of Jeff Shevlin / cshevlin0 on eBay.
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The pioneering work was So-Called Dollars by Richard D. Kenney, a 20-page pamphlet published by Wayte Raymond Inc. as the July-August 1953 issue of The Coin Collector’s Journal.
The second and more extensive work is So-Called Dollars by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen, published in 1963 by the Coin and Currency Institute. This 156-page book covers commemorative and exposition medals of near-dollar size in catalog format, listing metal varieties and historical information, along with numerous illustrations. The medals are identified by HK numbers.
New book on horizon
No updated reference dedicated specifically to so-called dollar medals has been published since then, but one is on the horizon.
Jeffrey L. Shevlin, a California collector and dealer, has been working on the book project for some time, and expects it could be some time before a finished work is ready to publish. Work thus far includes revisions to information already published in the Hibler-Kappen book, new information on issues that were not part of the earlier work and plans for new illustrations.
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BRASS MEDAL, HK-155, was released for the World’s Columbian Exposition staged in Chicago in 1892 and 1893. Images courtesy of Jeff Shevlin / cshevlin0 on eBay.
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Shevlin hopes to also include information on new varieties as well as exclude some information from the earlier reference that may not be considered germane to the overall collecting theme.
Shevlin said research for the book will focus on issues from the late 19th century through to the period when the Hibler-Kappen book was published. Any issues released subsequent to that time frame could be considered fodder for a second volume, Shevlin said. The upcoming book is not the only sign that interest in so-called dollar medals is growing.
In 2004, 41 years after the publication of the Hibler-Kappen book, so-called dollar enthusiasts convened at the American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money in Portland, Ore., to found the So-Called Dollar Collectors Club.
One of the goals of Shevlin, the club's founding and current president, is his updated and expanded reference, including current values. The club maintains an online presence at www.socalleddoll ar.org.
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EXTREMELY RARE in aluminum, this high-relief HK-222 so-called dollar medal was issued in 1892 to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. Images courtesy of Anaconda Rare Coins / anaconda.rare.coins on eBay.
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It receives e-mail at SoCalledDollar@SoCalledDoll ar.org.
The site offers a forum for collectors to exchange information as well as to learn about the organization and the collecting of so-called dollar medals.
To join, send a check for $15 made out to the So-Called Dollar Collectors Club to Shevlin, 7737 Fair Oaks Blvd., Suite 250, Carmichael, CA 95608.
HK focus
According to Hibler and Kappen, the first written use of the term "so-called dollars" can be attributed to the late Thomas L. Elder, a New York coin dealer, who used the term in his description of Lot 395 from his Sept. 27 and 28, 1912, auction. The lot was a Theodore Roosevelt medal of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Hibler and Kappen later referenced it as HK-308.
According to Hibler and Kappen, "Such items long since have grown in popularity and importance to the extent that they have achieved an independent status and represent a separate and distinct series of their own."<
The initial use of the term "so-called dollars" was designated for commemorative or exposition souvenirs. Its use for pieces of a monetary nature occurred later, according to Hibler and Kappen.
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BRYAN MONEY refers to that area of so-called dollar medals devoted to the "free silver" campaign platform of William Jennings Bryan, Democratic presidential candidate in 1896 and 1900. Shown are HK-780, top, and HK-782. Images courtesy of Jeff Shevlin / cshevlin0 on eBay.
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"Seldom are two issues identical, with the result that in few other fields can the collector find greater variety," according to Hibler and Kappen. "… Many of these medals are symbolic of our enormous industrial expansion, of our culture, philosophy and progress and so they are truly an essential part of Numismatic Americana."
To manage the expanse of possible pieces, Hibler and Kappen restricted their research and cataloging to the following criteria: They had to be of United States issue only; with a minimum diameter of 1-5/16 inches (33 millimeters) and a maximum diameter of 1¾ inches (45 millimeters); no holed or looped pieces unless also struck "plain" as well; nothing made of plastic fiber or similar materials unless also issued in one or more metals; no purely presidential or political medals; no school, college, athletic, coin club or U.S. Armed Forces pieces; and no calendar medals, store cards, trade tokens or emergency money.
The catalogers listed several exceptions to their rules. The first three pieces cataloged in their book were exceptions to the “no-holed-pieces” rule, and Bryan money, which violated their maximum diameter rule, was cataloged in the book.
The Hibler-Kappen book is divided into four specialty categories:
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IMPRINT TYPE OF Referendum dollar, HK-796, stamped boyd park on the reverse, arrow. About 200 such pieces are reported to have been stamped this way. Images courtesy of Jeff Shevlin / cshevlin0 on eBay.
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Commemorative and exposition medals of national significance (such as the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the 1892 and 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis).
Commemorative and exposition medals of local significance (like the 1880 Nashville Centennial Exposition in Tennessee, the 1935 Shreveport Centennial in Louisiana and the 1949 Long Beach Centennial in Long Beach, Calif.).
Monetary and miscellaneous medals.
Unique and nearly unique issues (of which less than five pieces were known in 1963).
The monetary issues included those related to the gold and silver controversies of the 1890s – the Bryan dollars, featuring the likeness of William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential candidate in 1896, and again in 1900, with inscriptions referring to his "free silver" platform.
Also included among the monetary issues are the Lesher or Referendum dollars of 1900 and 1901. These pieces were issued by Ohio native Joseph W. Lesher, who was a Colorado silver camp worker, silver mine owner and real estate investor. Lesher issued these souvenir silver pieces from his Victor, Colo., home.
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PRODUCED IN CONJUNCTION with the U.S. Centennial Exposition held in 1876 in Philadelphia, this pure silver Nevada dollar medal, HK-19, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint from Nevada silver ore. It is one of the rarest so-called dollar medals. Images courtesy of Jeff Shevlin / cshevlin0 on eBay.
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Where to look
Dealers in tokens and medals represent one source for those seeking to purchase so-called dollar medals. These specialist dealers often have bourse tables at numismatic shows and conventions across the country. Collectors may also peruse the classified advertisements in Coin World for dealers in such material, or look for their Web sites.
Many token and medal dealers offer fixed-price lists, conduct mail-bid sales and hold public auctions that may include so-called dollar medals, or list them for sale online. So-called dollar medals can also be found offered for sale on the online auction site eBay.
Members of the So-Called Dollar Collectors Club gain benefits that include the possibility of exchanges with other fellow members with like interests. So-called dollar medals may cost as little as less than $20, to several hundred dollars each, depending on rarity.
Collectors considering collecting so-called dollar medals should obtain a copy of the Hibler-Kappen book from a numismatic book dealer.
Collectors should remember that the prices quoted in the 1963 book are 43 years old, so checking a number of current sources for the material may be necessary to come up with current values.
