Owner Comments:
TIED FOR TOP POP RED/BROWN LISTED IN THE NGC CENSUS AS OF 8/2023. THERE ARE ONLY (5) MS 66'S AND (1) MS 67 LISTED AS FINER OVERALL, BUT THESE ARE ALL BROWN OR NO COLOR DESIGNATION.
ANOTHER NGC MS 65 WITH NO COLOR DESIGNATION WAS SOLD BY HERITAGE AUCTIONS IN 2021 FOR $456.00.
CENTURY OF PROGRESS EXPOSITION 1933-1934, CHICAGO, IL
Purpose: To establish both centennial of Chicago as municipality and "century of progress" in science, engineering and technology.
Organization: Our second largest exposition; company chartered 1930, bonds sold to public. This was unique World's Fair venture because (1) no governmental subsidies were sought or accepted; (2) despite national depression, it was financial success--only international exposition to pay its debts, reimburse its bond holders in full plus interest and still have cash surplus at closing. All this at cost of over $50,000,000.
Site: Over 400 acres on shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago's southside; then and now part of city's public parks system.
Dates, Attendance: May 27 to Nov. 12, 1933 and 1934. Total attendance over 39,000,000 paid.
Participants: Practically all states and territories; many housed exhibits in giant Hall of States; others erected own buildings; Tremendous industrial representation but, by comparison, "poor support" by foreign countries. While no financial aid sought from Congress, United States did erect $1,000,000 Federal Building; extensive national displays included Mint Exhibit.
Comment: Dozen major palaces and 200 other buildings designed for "honest functioning." Architecture was "ultramodern," complete departure from past "following no pattern...of former expositions; depended on simple planes, color and lighting for character and effectiveness"; outstanding feature was color, with little ornamentation or decoration. All emphasis given to scientific and industrial progress; Hall of Science, 80 acres, was focal point. At other extreme, Sally Rand's show grossed $1,500,000 in 1933 alone!
FORD DOLLARS
1933-dated Ford piece HK-465 actually unrelated to the Century of Progress Exposition, not attended by Ford until following year. Produced for the 1933 Detroit Auto Show using similar theme "Thirty Years of Progress". Auto Show opened Oct. 21, 1933, with over 1.1 million visitors in one week.
NOTE: Copper, brass, and aluminum specimens of this medal started appearing on eBay in 2012 and 2013, all struck on thick planchets. The designs are generally similar to those shown here, although with enough minor differences to make them easily distinguishable even without looking at composition or thickness.