A recent purchase for my aluminum collection. I select pieces I like as its impossible to collect everything. The exposition palace aluminum medals--so-called dollars--have long been a favorite of mine. I finally acquired a set with the original aluminum "pillbox" case they came in. The set is missing one of the medals (the Cascade Gardens), so I need to find a matching medal to finish the set. The other sets with pillbox that I've seen were dented. I liked the quality of this set and bought it for about $100 or more less than a similar full set would have cost with all five medals. Time will tell if I made the right choice and I find a matching fifth piece for the set.

The medals are brilliant proof quality with some nicks and dings as one might expect for aluminum after 100 years. They were a challenge to photograph. I used axial lighting for a brilliant white image and a second shot with more direct illumination on the coin surface to pick up color. I then overlayed the white image on the color image and desaturated the final shot to pick up all the details and capture the feel of the aluminum surface. It doesn't capture the brilliant finish of the reflective surface, but that's hard to see without the medal in hand. The technique also capture the nicks, scratches, and partial finger print, so it faithfully reproduces the condition of the pieces. Still working on my technique.

The case:



Hibler & Kappen 319



Hibler & Kappen 320



Hibler & Kappen 321



Hibler & Kappen 322a

Absolutely beautiful, Bill!

(sigh). Yet another set i'll have to keep my eyes open for.

These are very interesting indeed. I hadn't a clue as to their existence.

As you say, they are doing exceptionally well for being aluminium.

Excellent pieces. The photo technique is working quite well. Thanks for sharing.

Last March I found a match to complete my set:



Hibler and Kappen 316

The original edition of Hibler and Kappen noted that the above medals were likely struck by Lauer based on another Exhibition Palace medal of a slightly different style signed by Lauer. The new edition deletes that comment and adds additional Exhibition Palace dollars without noting that they too are signed by Lauer. I finally acquired one for my collection and I do not believe the above set was made by Lauer. As you can see, the styles are very different. The Lauer medals are signed in the left hand base of the scenes.



I know you cannot see the signature here, but it is there on both sides. Ead's bridge was not a structure at the fair, it was the first bridge to span the Mississippi at St. Louis. I managed to find a photograph similar to the scene on the medal:



at Bridge Pros.