MEGA RED ADDS CENTENNIAL SO-CALLED DOLLARS

1876 CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION SO-CALLED DOLLARS IN THE MEGA RED BOOK

The Deluxe Edition of The Guide Book of U.S. Coins will showcase So-Called Dollars

This is exciting news not only for so-called dollar collectors, but for the entire hobby as well because this will give exposure and educate collectors on a historically significant and diverse segment of our hobby.

So-called dollars from the 1876 U.S. Centennial Exposition are being showcased in the latest Mega Red Book, the seventh deluxe edition of A Guide Book of United States Coins, published by Whitman Publishing. Over 80 medals and 300 varieties are depicted, along with photos, values and rarity information, many of which have never been cataloged before. Contributing author Jeff Shevlin, an expert on so-called dollars, has incorporated a different section on so-called dollars into each edition of the Mega Red since its inception seven years ago.

So-called dollars are U.S. medals about the size of a silver dollar struck to commemorate events in the United States history. More than 750 varieties are known, half of which are associated with a fair or exposition; the others commemorate important events in American history.

Whitman publisher Dennis Tucker says, The Centennial Exposition of 1876 was a grand affair, attended by 10 million visitors to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American independence. In the seventh edition of Mega Red, Jeff Shevlin lays out a colorfully illustrated catalog of more than 300 varieties of So-Called Dollars - historic medals designed and engraved by well-known artists like William Barber, George B. Soley, William Key, George H. Lovett, Abraham Demarest, Carl Stubenrauch, and Rudolf Laubenheimer. In 2026 America will have a suite of new coins in our pocket change to commemorate 250 years of independence. In the meantime we can look back to our 100th anniversary and enjoy these beautiful, historic, and collectible So-Called Dollars of America’s centennial.

To give readers a sense of the so-called dollars' vast history, here is an example highlighted in the Mega Red Book.

1876 Centennial Exposition Official So-Called Dollar
This medal was designed and engraved by Charles Barber, the chief engraver of the U.S. Mint. The allegorical symbolism depicted on this 38mm U.S. Mint medal tells an interesting story about the United States. At the time of the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, most of Europe considered the United States to be a third-world country. The obverse depicts Liberty, representing the United States, rising up with her left hand reaching for the stars and greatness. The message was that the United States would rise in importance and be recognized as a world power. Historically, heraldry is depicted using an olive branch in the figure’s right hand and a sword in the left (meaning peace is preferred but action will be taken if necessary). In the case of the 1876 Centennial Exposition medal, the sword is in Liberty’s right hand, signifying that the United States is not to be trifled with.

In addition to the photos of the obverse and reverse, a spreadsheet of values, compositions and rarity information is cataloged with each example.

 

As Kenneth Bressett, editor emeritus of The Guide Book of United States Coins said, It is always refreshing to observe the enthusiasm shown by medal collectors for their favorite segment of numismatics. They view the artistry, history and significance of each piece as its prime importance in a way that is too often overlooked by those who simply collect coins with the objective of completeness or concern for condition.

For more information on these and other so-called dollars visit the so-called dollar collector’s website www.So-CalledDollar.com.

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