So-Called Dollars


This site is intended to help collectors and dealers identify so-called dollars as listed in the major reference book So-Called Dollars by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen. There are many unlisted varieties of so-called dollars that were unknown to Hibler and Kappen and to HK-research and listings by fellow collectors, they have been included within these pages whenever possible.
book cover

New changes in the book since the first edition (1963):

  1. Many more pictures.
  2. More (and updated!) historical information.
  3. More listings including metal varieties and totally new items.
  4. Sizes are now listed in mm rather than by 16ths of an inch.
  5. Cross references to other major references are included.
  6. Part IV is now included into Parts I, II, and III. For the time being, the numbering has stayed the same.

The printed book also contains rarity and pricing information, neither of which is available on this web site.

We would like to thank the contributors of this book for their knowledge, insight, and support. We recognize that without their help, this book could not be possible. These include:

  • Ron Abler
  • Victor Annaloro
  • David Baldwin
  • Norm Bolotin
  • Bob Bugsy
  • Mike Cali
  • Paul Cunningham
  • Tom DeLorey
  • Donald Ensley
  • Robert Fowler
  • Arthur Friedberg
  • Rick Gross
  • Andy Gunderson
  • Darren Gunderson
  • Al Hancovsky
  • Paul Heinen
  • Alan Hilkene
  • Steve Hayden
  • Fred Holabird
  • William Hyder
  • Tom Jankovsky
  • Dick Johnson
  • Jerry Jones
  • Andy Kaufman
  • Anthony Kim
  • David King
  • Marty Kuklinksi
  • Robert Lada
  • Orie Lebus
  • Joe Levine
  • Bob Lewis
  • Dana Linett
  • Mike Locke
  • Robert Mayer
  • Neil Musante
  • Dave Perkins
  • John Raymond
  • Jeff Shevlin
  • Doug Smith
  • Tony Swicer
  • Steve Tannenbaum
  • Bill Walton
  • Adna Wilde

From the Hibler and Kappen book, they defined so-called dollars this way:

This present work is restricted to medals of an exposition, commemorative, monetary and kindred nature. ...From the beginning, however, it was necessary to establish the following specific limitations in order to contain our efforts within a manageable perimeter:

  1. United States only.
  2. Minimum diameter - Size 21 (1-5/16 inch or 33mm).
  3. Maximum diameter - Size 28 (1-3/4 inch or 45mm); but silver Bryan Dollars are listed.
  4. No holed or looped material unless struck plain also. Our Nos. 1 to HK-3 are the sole exceptions.
  5. No plastic, fiber or similar material unless issued also in one or more metals.
  6. No purely presidential or political medals.
  7. No school, college or athletic medals; no coin club or U.S. Armed Forces medals.
  8. No calendar or store cards; no trade tokens or emergency money.






This site is supported by the publisher and copyright holder of So-Called Dollars by Hibler and Kappen, The Coin & Currency Institute.