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The California Midwinter International Exposition was held in San Francisco in 1894. The fair was held in Golden Gate Park, was very popular with over 2 million people attending. Several medals were produced for the exposition including this piece which is often referred to as the official medal of the fair. This example of the 1894 California Midwinter Expo Official Medal is listed as HK-245 in the Hibler-Kappen book on So-Called Dollars and has been graded MS63PL by NGC and is encapsulated in one of the newer-style edge-view holders. This is the version of the medal based on the California State Seal that was designed by Charles Barber and struck by the United States Mint. The design has wonderful details and is very attractive. This piece is a bright gold color that is very lustrous with strong prooflike fields. The piece does have some handling marks which show in the prooflike fields, but none are major. The overall eye appeal of this piece is off the charts. The HK-245 medal is typically found in brass, but gold-plated examples were reportedly available on the first day of the exposition. This is clearly one of those special gold plated examples of the medal. Further, only a few examples of this medal have been designated as prooflike by NGC and this is probably one of the best survivors if not the very best.
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