So-Called Dollar Discussions
Declaration of Independence HK-74 to HK-79b
Quote from Pioneer on January 30, 2013, 7:50 pmIf you visit the US Capitol, part of the visitor tour includes standing in the rotunda. One of the historically important paintings hanging there is John Trumbull's depiction of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. Imagine signing your name to a public document in a time of war where an armed opposing force could track you down and eliminate you and your family.... that is the courage the signers of this document had. The SCDs related to this event at the US Centennial Celebration seem to come in die varieties & different metals. John Raymond has a nice summary on his website. If you study the painting on HK-74A and HK-75, you'll notice a person missing from the right corner on HK-75. An additional difference is the lettering "Demarest Sc" at the bottom on the obverse lettering on HK-75 (missing from HK-78 to HK-79b). I presume this was the mark placed by the die sinker Abraham Demarest, an engraver/die-sinker in New York City in the 1860s, given that other medals to his credit have a similar mark. I am not sure if he made all of the different varieties of these medals. From what I understand, there is a book on US Centennial medals and so-calleds forthcoming soon from Mr. Ron Abler. I look forward to a nice publication on the subject.
If you visit the US Capitol, part of the visitor tour includes standing in the rotunda. One of the historically important paintings hanging there is John Trumbull's depiction of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. Imagine signing your name to a public document in a time of war where an armed opposing force could track you down and eliminate you and your family.... that is the courage the signers of this document had. The SCDs related to this event at the US Centennial Celebration seem to come in die varieties & different metals. John Raymond has a nice summary on his website. If you study the painting on HK-74A and HK-75, you'll notice a person missing from the right corner on HK-75. An additional difference is the lettering "Demarest Sc" at the bottom on the obverse lettering on HK-75 (missing from HK-78 to HK-79b). I presume this was the mark placed by the die sinker Abraham Demarest, an engraver/die-sinker in New York City in the 1860s, given that other medals to his credit have a similar mark. I am not sure if he made all of the different varieties of these medals. From what I understand, there is a book on US Centennial medals and so-calleds forthcoming soon from Mr. Ron Abler. I look forward to a nice publication on the subject.