10 reasons why a self-respecting collector should avoid So-Called Dollars. Updated with some new pic

keets · November 12, 2003 4:33AM

1. Some of them actually have Historical Significance, probably sacrificing integrity somewhere along the line. We just haven't figured out where yet.

2. Some were actually struck at the U.S. Mint on mint-made dies, designed and engraved by well-known Mint employees. Government involvement always hurts.

3. As a rule, they are high relief----who wants all that detail that can wear off?

4. Many are truly rare and not "grade rare" or any of the other misused forms of the word. How is a guy supposed to hype something like THAT to cash in on it???

5. Can you imagine that some of the best medalists/sculptors/engravers available were involved with the designs? They should have stuck to coins!!!

6. Not many people know about them, so how can you make money in the after-market?---well, well, the passing of time has corrected yet another problem!!!

7. Many issues are available in a variety of metals. Man, does that suck!! Give me gold/silver/platinum or give me death!!
8. Only NGC, ANACS and SEGS seem willing to holder So-Called $'s, so that really limits the burgeoning Plastic-Buying-Public when a collector wants to assemble and Register a set!!
well, this oversight has been corrected!!

9. They aren't really coins, so they must suck!!

10. Many are somehow tied to a commemoration of some type that we already have a coin for.

Al H.

braddick · November 12, 2003 4:47AM

Keets, you're on to something. These are fun to collect and the stories each tell are fascinating. SEGS holders them too, by the way. And, doesn't ANACS?

keets · November 12, 2003 7:17AM

Hello..........out there??????

is Braddick the only one who knows my post was made in jest and has the slightest inkling what a So-Called Dollar even is?? certainly you must be kidding, forum??

al h.

shirohniichan · November 12, 2003 7:25AM

Your number one reason is right on-- why collect something that will teach you something about history? We have enough to worry about already.

I collect So-Called Dollars relating to national and international expositions. Braddick showed me some really nice ones from the 1915 Pan Pacific Expo. When he's ready to sell the silver one I'm ready to buy.

291fifth · November 12, 2003 8:07AM

The So-Called Dollars are suffering from the lack of a readily available reference book. the Hibbler-Kappen book was introduced in 1963 and actually went a long way toward killing interest in the series because of the wildly inaccurate prices listed. The books could still be found in dealer stocks until the early 1980's. Once the books finally disappeared interest in the So-Called Dollars suffered yet again, this time from the lack of a reference. There is no question that they make up an interesting series and deserve more attention.

mgoodm3 · November 12, 2003 8:18AM

Ahhh. Bach.

Bothuwui · November 12, 2003 2:14PM

That a MASH reference?

cladking · November 12, 2003 2:18PM

There are dozens of other of these medals which could be included in this group
which have been made before and since HK. In fact there is no definite line and one
can strike out on his own and make many new additions and discoveries.

keets · November 12, 2003 3:44PM

Hey Sam

one thing i like about their book is that the authors explain the criteria for inclusion in the reference which limits size and theme. additionally, they personally inspected all the listed entries. that is pretty extensive documentation. i would wonder why no follow-up has ever been done or a revised additional printing of the book. perhaps they covered all the bases.

al h.

eureka · November 12, 2003 4:11PM

I collect the gold ones which aren't easy to find. Not counting Alaskan ones, I have a half dozen so far.

WorkingMan · November 12, 2003 5:37PM

The last president of my local coin club is a big so-called dollar fanatic, so we (the club) were made well-aware of them during his term. Personally, liking the U.S. Mint issued dollars so much, the so-called dollars also garner a good amount of interest for me too. Not all of them, but there are some interesting specimens.

One I like, but is a bit out of my price range :

There's a bunch of other nice ones listed (and pictured) here :
So-Called Dollars

Ever seen a Whipple Dollar? I think those are neat too.

Have fun!

Gemini · November 12, 2003 8:08PM

If you want to study some real forgotten American history get a copy of American Colonial History illustrated by Contemporary Medals by C. Wyllys Betts 1894 reprinted in 1964-a really great book.

Steve27 · November 12, 2003 9:45PM

#2. Yes sir, I'm a regular Sears and Roebuck!!

From Shawshank Redemption

njcoincrank · November 12, 2003 11:30PM

Keets,

I agree....if nobody recognizes them for what there are, then there are more for me. I you know what I like.

Word on the street is that somebody is doing a remake of the HK book. Gosh, I hope it stays quiet.

njcoincrank

keets · March 3, 2005 5:06AM

rising from the ashes with some pictures added..................................

al h.

eyoung429 · March 3, 2005 5:23AM

Does anyone here have any of the Ford dollars?????? Please pm me!!!!

XpipedreamR · March 3, 2005 5:29AM

Showoff!

cladking · March 3, 2005 5:31AM

There is very little competition for these. Add in the fact that few people have any idea of the
proper value and it assures you can put collections together on a shoestring.

<< Does anyone here have any of the Ford dollars?????? Please pm me!!!! >>

Sure. I also have other Ford stuff too that I'd love to trade.

Mark · March 3, 2005 5:39AM

People who collect so-called dollars are merely so-called collectors! Indeed, I envision the field changing so that these "things" are called wannabe dollars and hence the collectors become wannabe collectors!

Mark

P.S.

P.P.S. Really nice looking so-called dollars Keets. Some of them are truly stunning!

midwestcoin13 · March 3, 2005 5:46AM

they look very intresting.

weresteve · March 3, 2005 6:09AM

<< Hello..........out there??????

is Braddick the only one who knows my post was made in jest and has the slightest inkling what a So-Called Dollar even is?? certainly you must be kidding, forum??

al h.

>>

Hmmm ... #1 is actually a US military medal ... WW II Medal of Victory ... have one that belonged to my stepfather.

Steve

keets · March 3, 2005 6:18AM

hey Steve

you're correct about the WWII Victory Medal. they were issued probably in the tens or hundreds of thousands. the value or collectibility is in the fact that they are almost non-existent with no evidence of having been looped for suspension from a ribbon, the standard form of issuance. mine is just such an example and holdered by NGC as MS63.

al h.

flaminio · March 3, 2005 6:18AM

Wow, thread of the living dead...

I agree that So-Called Dollars should be avoided. Indeed, the following piece recently avoided itself into my collection:

I really didn't like that this made for a nice adjunct to my Columbian Expo coins, and I'm sure I will be avoiding picking up any other pieces that have relevance to my collection.

Anyone know the status of that updated HK reference? Not that I'd be interested in such stuff, mind you.

dealmakr · March 3, 2005 7:05AM

Hi Keets,

Great pieces of history there. I do wish that they would change the Greenbuck to Greenduck like its supposed to be, but just another case of trying to correct things written in stone.

Thanks for sharing those pics

dealmakr

mrearlygold · March 3, 2005 7:07AM

Cool material for sure!

Tom

stephunter · March 3, 2005 7:18AM

wam98 · March 3, 2005 7:58AM

A nice selection of something you don't see every day. Interesting collection al h.

RGL · March 3, 2005 8:32AM

Having eyeballed some of Al's collection, I can assure all they are beautiful and fascinating pieces. I love 'em...

ldhair · March 3, 2005 8:41AM

Great thread keets.

keets · December 15, 2006 2:03AM

TTT for discussion, addition, deragotory comments, praise and anything else that comes along. better yet, why not post a reason why a collector might want to collect these beautiful pieces of historical commentary........................

RichieURich · December 15, 2006 2:49AM

Thanks for posting this list, Keets. I occasionally get some of these in collections I buy and I find them fascinating. I will be buying the new book when it comes out!

DUIGUY · December 15, 2006 2:54AM

Good points Keets ! Very sound advice all serious collectors should heed !!

Very nice widgets by the way !!

CaptHenway · December 15, 2006 3:00AM

<< TTT for discussion, addition, deragotory comments, praise and anything else that comes along. better yet, why not post a reason why a collector might want to collect these beautiful pieces of historical commentary........................ >>

Them's a couple o' fine looking DeLorey numbers hiding in that original post.......
TD

tmot99 · December 15, 2006 3:16AM

I'm sorry I missed this the first time you posted it! Great thread.

shirohniichan · December 15, 2006 3:28AM

<< TTT for discussion, addition, deragotory comments, praise and anything else that comes along. better yet, why not post a reason why a collector might want to collect these beautiful pieces of historical commentary........................ >>

I would like collectors to stay away from Centennial medals and California expo medals until I've finished my collection. Thanks!

mgoodm3 · December 15, 2006 3:29AM

I love coins and metals with high-relief.

cladking · December 15, 2006 3:31AM

There's another problem with high relief that was never addressed; it hides the fields
and makes it much more difficult to count ticks. You'll have to tip the thing back and forth
to get the design out of your way and that will make you lose count.

dealmakr · December 15, 2006 3:41AM

Hi Keets,

I believe that the Greenbuck (Greenduck) mistake is going to be fixed.

It takes a while.

regards,

dealmakr

keets · December 15, 2006 4:08AM

I believe that the Greenbuck (Greenduck) mistake is going to be fixed.

i know the new "Edition" will have it fixed, but i wonder if NGC will address it in their online report and slab inserts?? i currently have an HK-468 at the factory----1833-1934---- that's the only example i've found thus far, should be an AU55 or a BB. i soaked it in acetone to remove some tape and lacquer which turned the underlying metal white and hazy. after i soaked it in olive oil it turned a darker brown than the rest of the medal, so i hope they don't interpret it as having been re-toned.

MadMarty · December 15, 2006 4:25AM

If Al says we should avoid them I better start selling the ones I have!!! I still like this one though!!!

Longacre · December 15, 2006 4:26AM

Great post and incredible SCDs.

orie · December 15, 2006 4:34AM

Thanks for putting up the pics and the link to SC$ registry sets across the street. Now I'm going to look at the pics in those sets.

ccr · December 15, 2006 4:39AM

<< Ahhh. Bach.

That a MASH reference? >>

Yeap. Once you say that you said it all!

Keets - Some really nice So-Called Dollars.

MrBreeze · December 15, 2006 4:47AM

Keets

You are correct about #3. My '26 Phillie Ses is worn to the point where it took me awhile to identify it.

By the way, some of those are really nice dollars, so to speak.

keets · December 15, 2006 4:56AM

when i originally posted the thread in 2003 things were only starting to heat up. in the time since then, NGC has opened the pop report to SC$'s which helps track what's out there, they've also customized their registry to allow personalized sets and the medals have flooded onto the market and seem to be gaining legitimacy, with pricing appreciating nicely. newly unreported varieties such as obv/rev die pairings and planchet compositions surface constantly as well as entirely new issues. with a new effort to update things in an online format version of the original Hibler-Kappen work the horizon in this neat area of American history seems boundless.

SC$'s are starting to appear in some of the larger show auctions with a big one coming in February at the Heritage Long Beach Show, following on the heels of a similar auction last September that was very diverse and well attended. remarkably to me, only a few years ago there were perhaps 20-40 listings at eBay and the real great items had to be found with the right search words. in the last few months eBay has added a seperate sub-category under Exonumia for So-Called Dollars with perhaps 150-200 items listed there at any time.

the downside for me is that more interest means higher prices at the pump!!!

Bear · December 15, 2006 5:23AM

Why in the world world serious collectors

want to collect something of historic importance,

beauty and social relevance, that is not over

priced.

coindeuce · December 15, 2006 11:00AM

Nyah! Nyah! Mine er better 'n yers!! Is that what you want??

keets · December 15, 2006 11:33AM

???

stev32k · December 15, 2006 11:59AM

Initially I was put off by the title of the thread. I thought - another thread bashing something other people like to collect. Then I saw the photos and knew it was in jest. Those are some VERY good images by the way. Good enough to get me interested in so called dollars.

keets · March 19, 2008 7:07AM

ttt......................

Longacre · March 19, 2008 9:58AM

Great post, Keets!!

10 reasons why a self-respecting collector should avoid So-Called Dollars. Updated with some new pic

Comments

Leave a Comment