1776 HK-853a, Bashlow Restrike Dollar

Coin Details

Auction Record

Description

These dies had a long second life. Dickeson cut them to copy the 1776 Continental dollar for the 1876 centennial; Thomas L. Elder later owned one or both; by 1962 they were the property of Q. David Bowers and his Empire Coin Company, which had restrikes made in England. Empire then sold the dies to Robert Bashlow, and HK-853a is his bronze restrike. Bashlow's bronze and goldine pieces are both about 2 1/2 mm thick, much thinner than the Dickeson copper striking, HK-853, which is slightly under 4 mm. Bashlow announced afterward that the dies had gone to the Smithsonian Institution. The design keeps the sundial, "Fugio" and "Mind Your Business" on the obverse and the thirteen-state chain around "We are One" on the reverse. His silver version, HK-852a, is the one Hibler and Kappen single out by a small S on the reverse.

Cross References

HK-853a; PCGS #643598