Offered here is a remarkably elusive 1939 New York World’s Fair Lincoln “A Token” Dollar, struck by Thomas L. Elder, catalogued as HK-493e, Brass, and certified PCGS MS63.
To the best of my research, the brass variety is recorded in the major reference trail — including DeLorey 49, So-Called Dollars, Newman Numismatic Portal, and PCGS CoinFacts — but I have located no prior public auction sale, no published plate or publicly identifiable image of another HK-493e brass specimen, and no known mintage figure for the brass issue.
Thomas L. Elder, a prominent early 20th-century numismatist, coin dealer, auctioneer, and producer of medals and tokens, issued this small Lincoln token for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Elder was deeply involved with tokens, store cards, medals, and related exonumia throughout his career, and his privately produced issues have long been collected as part of the broader So-Called Dollar and American token fields.
Obverse: Bust of Abraham Lincoln, with legend ABRAHAM / LINCOLN.
Reverse: A / TOKEN, surrounded by stars, within wreath.
