SO-CALLED DOLLAR MEDAL FROM THE 1889 "FAIR & EXPO" IN DETROIT

This an unusual and seldom seen aluminum so-called dollar for a relatively small fair and exposition Detroit that was held in 1889.

At a glance I would have said that the design of this piece might have copied the style from the myriad Columbian Expo SCD's and souvenirs--but then I realized that it was held in 1889, about four years before the World's Columbian Expo.

This Detroit exp was one of the earliest uses of aluminum for medals. While I have collected, researched, written about and sold meals from the WCE I have also specialized in ALL world's fairs. I don't recall ever seeing any souvenir items, medal or otherwise, from 1889 Detroit.

Finding this item I immediately wanted to learn more about this expo. It was much smaller than even the small size I'd expected. I am not sure but in all articles about the fair seem to point to the expansive building on the obverse of this medal as being the home of the fair--with no other buildings, events or other attractions held outside the "castle" itself.

A small fair? Indeed. In its first iteration the fair drew 300,000 attendees. The fair/building was planned to continue for several years but each year fewer and fewer people attended. The castle was demolished and the site leveled just a few years making room for industrial use buildings.

I don't find wear on the medal; under magnification the centerpiece building doesn't show wear. But i is difficult to tell if the "soft" features idicate a slighty wornj or brand new medal. The building was called the largest ever built for a world's fair.

This is a rare opportunity to add this medal to your world's fair collection as well as your Detroit collection should you happen to have one.