Southern So-Called Dollars Mega Thread

Pioneer1

Numerous so-called dollars and medals relate to Southern Expositions from the 1870s to the 1900s. I was a bit astounded by the sales price of this "SCD key" related to the William Warner & Brother Company of Philadelphia PA in May 2025. I would like to start a long-term discussion regarding this collecting area as there seem to be people with money to invest in this area.

Of course, this bronze medal connects the William Warner & Bro Co (and Philadelphia) with numerous Southern themed SCDs of which more posts will follow.

Pioneer1

There are numerous Southern Expositions from the 1870s to the 1900s that are in the Shevlin & Hyder book and of interest for discussion. After the civil war (1861-1865), the South was under reconstruction (1865-1877), an effort at rebuilding the South and integrating former Confederate states back into the Union. Lincoln and Johnson initially pursued lenient policies toward the South, but after Lincoln;s assassination, radical Republicans took control and pushed stringent measures. As the South tried to rebuild, it became clear that Southern Expositions were of value.

To start out with, here is the 1872 Louisville Industrial Expo:

One wonders if the logo on the medal is Tiffany and Company (T&C at 4:00 on the reverse). While KY was not under reconstruction, considering it a Southern State (given the eventual 1883 Southern Exposition), the 1872 Louisville Industrial Expo could be considered an early " Southern " Expo... before the Panic of 1873 created financial havoc.

The 1872 Louisville Industrial Expo featured beautiful woodwork, artistic engraving lithographs, and sculpture (Hebe featured here), the Greek goddess of Youth… known as the cupbearer of the Gods, serving them nectar and ambrosia…. She was also associated with the prime of life, eternal youth, and forgiveness. Hebe was the daughter of Zeus and Hera,

One would assume that a Cincinnati die sinker like Charles Theiler would have been involved in the creation of this medal, and perhaps T & C references him as opposed to Tiffany and Company. If it does, Charles Theiler was in Cincinnati from 1874 to mid 1880s. He engraved one of the 1883 Southern Expo pieces (SH 3-61) but also engraved several Ohio Ag Fair Medals (Harkness OH-60 Hamilton County Ag Soc + OH-100 Southern Ohio Fair – 1880s) … seemingly competing with P.L. Krider. Theiler eventually went to CT by 1886… with his work including the 1887 Soldier’s medal and 1888 HK-614 (New Haven CT) .. and his signature on these medals referencing Meriden CT which is near Waterbury CT ... so presume Theiler went to CT and could have had an association with Scovill Mfg in nearby Waterbury CT.. which makes one wonder if he did some fine work for Meriden Britania or Meriden Gravure Co…. in parallel with Scovill like HK-13 given the quality of his work

In any event, point being, numerous NORTHERN die sinkers did all the engraving work for SOUTHERN expositions.

Zoins

Wow! What a nice specimen and strong price for a HK-791A! Thanks for posting it!

Pioneer1

Here is a decent example of SH 3-61... the 1883 Southern Exposition medal by Theiler of Cincinnati... along with this collection of Theiler medals for reference...

Pioneer1

Moving on to the 1883 Southern Exposition (SH 3-61 to 3-63), and beyond Theiler's medal... for those of us who know of the infamous William H. Warner and Brother Co (Brother = Charles K Warner (CK Warner) of Civil War Token Fame like GW-733), with this fabulous silver store card re-sold by Steve Hayden in 2025 (after being last sold in the 2020 Stacks sale of the E Pluribus Unum Collection):

The William Warner and Brother Co of Philadelphia Co began much earlier under John Warner, an established medalist in Philadelphia PA. There were lots of connections between John Warner (who passed in 1868) and the US Mint in the 1840s-1860s. There is much speculation that numerous engravers at the US Mint worked with him. C.K. Warner, John's son, began his own company work in the mid 1860. He has numerous post-civil war store cards, made by Wm H. Key and Robert Lovett Jr (see GW-728 to GW-747 --- 19 storecards alone with varying artistry and post civil war themes, including Lincoln, US Generals, and Union/constitution). Charles Warner was cataloging and selling medals -- such as the Louis Brechemin collection (Washingtonia/Patterns) in 1867 … cataloged by C.K. Warner. Note that Lewis Brechemin, born in France ca. 1786, was a Philadelphia jeweler and known artist of lithographs. A member of the French Benevolent Society, he died (following an accident) on March 12, 1866 while a resident at 224 South Second Street in Philadelphia.

By 1876, C.K. Warner seems to have been involved with selling centennial medals as is seen in his sales list published in the TAMS journal. Key and Soley’s work at the 1876 exposition featuring the Liberty Bell and George Washington were marketed thru Warner. Warner's business really took off and was busy between 1880 and 1900.

Warner was associated with a famous Philadelphia engraver -- Edward A Kretschman (initials EAK on numerous 1880s medals); he is connected to the Southern Exposition through SH 3-62. The liberty head obverse on the medal is paired with numerous reverses engraved by Kretschman (between 1883 and 1890). EAK was born in Germany in 1849 and died in 1923. He moved to America and worked as a sculptor in Philadelphia, willing awards bu 1875. The Collis Zouave atop the 114th PA infantry monument in front of the Sherfy Farm House in Gettysburg PA National Monument is his work. In medallic art, did a series of Washington medals, numerous 1884 New Orleans Cotton Expo medals, and a North, Central, and South American Exposition medals, and is associated with numerous medals related to the libery head obverse thru 1890. He is also likely connected to the 1883 Germantown PA medals.

The Steigerwalt’s Coin Journal references the William Warner Co as creating the smaller Southern expo medal (sold by Fred Holabird auctions) as well as the Germantown medal.

The Southern exposition (in Louisville KY) was a series of annual expositions from 1883 to 1887 in “Old Louisville” which highlighted Thomas Edison’s newly made incandescent light bulb, the upcoming Statue of Liberty in New York, and numerous exhibits including Tobacco, Distilling, Leather, Glassworks.

Pioneer1

This bronze SH 3-62 is a Philadelphia PA creation by Edward A Kretschman (initials EAK on numerous (perhaps 7-8 reverses engraved by Kretschman(between 1883 and 1890). Most Warner pieces can be identified by the style of the lettering.

Pioneer1

In addition to the 1883 white metal piece (Rulau-Ky-Lo-32) above, here is it's iteration into the 1884 Southern Exposition medal....

Pioneer1

.. and these pieces .. which are attributed to Warner... include the 1884 NC Exposition:

... and this confederate reunion piece from Portsmouth VA (1884)....

... all of which are the same size.... 32-33 mm

Pioneer1

... and before moving on to another exposition... I needed to throw in this 1900 Winston Salem NC piece.... also from what I believe to be Warner and 32-33 mm .... and notice the scrolls on the back as numerous other pieces from around 1900 re-use that motif....

Pioneer1

A few comments on this 1881 Atlanta Exposition medal:

The 1881 Atlanta International Cotton Exposition (often just called the Atlanta Cotton Exposition) was held in Atlanta, Georgia from October 5 to December 31, 1881. It was designed to showcase the South’s recovery after the Civil War and to promote Atlanta as the leading city of the “New South,” focused on industrialization and modern agriculture, especially cotton production and new cotton-related technologies (cotton gin & mills) as the South was embracing industry and moving beyond a purely agricultural economy.

Held at a specially built site called Oglethorpe Park, just west of downtown Atlanta, the exposition featured a huge Exposition Building with machinery halls, agricultural displays, and a working cotton factory. There was an operating cotton mill on the grounds — cotton would be processed from raw fiber all the way to finished cloth right before visitors' eyes, which was considered very innovative. Political leaders like President James A. Garfield were invited (though Garfield had been assassinated earlier that year, so Vice President Chester Arthur, who became president, was associated in spirit). Exhibitors and visitors also came from the North and Europe which helped legitimize Atlanta as a rising industrial hub.

The above medal by Charles Theiler of Cincinnati OH has cotton on obverse and the exposition building on reverse with a bee hive – symbolic of:

• Industry, Harmony, and Order - the beehive seen as a model of a well-organized society where everyone worked together for a common purpose.
• Frugality - reflection of the community's ability to create resources and build a successful industry, even in a new and challenging environment.
• Sweet Results - referencing honey produced by the bees, symbolizing the positive outcome of their labor.

Pioneer1

Another medal from the exposition... not of SCD size, but related and part of the exposition... courtesy of https://www.tipsicocoin.com

Pioneer1

Photo of what a visitor might see at the 1880s Southern Expositions... (these photos from the 1884 North Carolina Exposition in Raleigh NC.... which led to the formation of NC State University).... showcasing agriculture and electricity....

Pioneer1

Jumping back to Southern reconstruction (1865-1877).... Military districts were established to enforce Reconstruction laws, and efforts were made to rebuild the Southern economy and infrastructure. Despite this, the South experienced intense resistance, leading to the rise of white supremacist groups and violent opposition to Reconstruction policies. With the Compromise of 1877, federal troops were withdrawn, marking the end of Reconstruction. but there was an ongoing resurgence of the Old South.

In this context, it's important to mention that the US Centennial Exposition of 1876 ... supposedly which had an air of national reconciliation (per what was advertised by the Northern States) was very much snubbed by the Old South as they were still under military occupation / reconstruction. New South advocates from the defeated Confederacy recognized that expositions provided a perfect mechanism for promoting their region and attracting northern capital and expertise after the Civil War.... but it would appear that the only participant of note was Mississippil

Carpetbagger Governor Adelbert Ames (famous military officer) promoted the Timber Industry through Mississippi’s participation in the 1876 Centennial Celebration. The Republican-controlled Mississippi legislature passed a bill making Ames head of the state Centennial committee with authority to appoint all the members. They decided that a modest log cabin constructed entirely from Mississippi’s vast timber resources would be the best way to promote that industry. At that time, the rest of the Deep South, still seething about reconstruction, had no interest in participating. The memory of federal troops occupying the southern states was ongoing and remained vivid as the political landscape was shifting.

Federal troops were withdrawn and the Black and Tan Republican legislature was ousted by White Democrats who immediately threatened Ames with impeachment. They took over his Centennial Committee and replaced him with the speaker of the house as well as firing and replacing all his committee members. However, they were too late to stop Mississippi’s participation in the 1876 Expo.... so they took credit for it and turned back what money of the appropriated $5,000 was left. As a result, Ames resigned and returned to his military career which was to include leading a charge on San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.

These photo capture the text above as well as Joseph R. Hawley, CT senator who was the president of the 1876 US Centennial Commission (from 1873-1876). Of interest, he descended from Laurinburg, North Carolina, where Hawley's father, a native of Connecticut, was pastor of a Baptist church. His father returned to Connecticut in 1837 and Joseph attended and graduated from Hamilton College in New York in 1847. He was admitted to the bar in 1850 and practiced law in Hartford, Connecticut for six years. An ardent opponent of slavery, in 1856, he took a leading part in organizing the Republican Party in Connecticut, and in 1857 became editor of the Hartford Evening Press, a newly established Republican newspaper. Prior to becoming president of the exposition commission, Hawley advocated for the Centennial celebration and International Exhibition in his speech to the House of Representatives on May 7, 1874. I found it interesting that a gentlemen from North Carolina was key to helping organize the Philadelphia 1876 US Centennial Exposition.

Too bad the 1876 Exposition did not have more Southern participation. There are no known medals from the exposition memorializing Southern participation.... other perhaps than Lovett's "Battle of Moore's Creek" HK-90-92 medals and the "Sullivan's Island" HK 93-95 medals (in Silver, Bronze, and White Metal) acknowledging North Carolina and South Carolina's roles in the 1876 Battles to free America. If you are ever in Wilmington NC, the Moore's Creek Battle site is a short drive out of town on 421. It's a great site to visit.... and better yet, the Lovett Battle Series Medals are cool to own. Equally cool is the battle site on Sullivan's Island outside of Charleston SC.

Pioneer1

The 1887 Piedmont Exposition was an event held for two weeks in Atlanta, Georgia in October 1887, organized to showcase the economic recovery and industrial growth of the South after the Civil War, part of a broader effort to promote the idea of a "New South" that embraced modernization, industrialization, and reconciliation with the North. The exposition was hosted at the newly created Piedmont Park, which at the time was on the outskirts of Atlanta (now it’s very much inside the city). Charles Collier, city council member and exposition president, bought the land to form Piedmont Park and built everything in 104 days. The event drew huge crowds — somewhere around 200,000 visitors — over the two weeks and was considered a big success.

Highlights:
• President Grover Cleveland visited and spoke at the exposition on October 26, 1887, adding major national prestige to the event.
• There were large exhibits focusing on Southern industries like textiles, agriculture, mining, and railroads.
• It was seen as a major way for Atlanta to stake its claim as the new commercial and industrial center of the South.

The exhibition medal has President Grover Cleveland on the obverse and the main exhibition building on the reverse.

President Cleveland was to be hosted by the Piedmont Driving Club (around to this day). Collier was later named as the president of the 1895 Cotton States Exposition. Henry W. Grady was a major figure in Atlanta history (newspaper editor – Atlanta Constitution; and Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta named after him), who helped with organizing the Piedmont expositions.

Pioneer1

In 1889, the second Piedmont Exposition was held.