1896 Bryan Dollar HK-779, Tiffany & Co., S-3

Coin Details

Description

HK-779 is a 1896 Bryan Dollar from the series of political medals produced during the presidential campaigns when the silver question divided the nation. This piece was manufactured by Tiffany & Co.. William Jennings Bryan, born March 19, 1860, in Salem, Illinois, delivered his legendary 'Cross of Gold' speech at the Chicago Coliseum on July 9, 1896, closing the platform debate on the third day of the Democratic National Convention. The relatively unknown Nebraska delegate electrified the hall and secured the Democratic nomination on the fifth ballot at age 36, becoming the youngest presidential nominee in American history. Bryan championed bimetallism at a ratio of sixteen ounces of silver to one ounce of gold, arguing that expanding the money supply through silver coinage would relieve the crushing debt burden on farmers and workers. Tiffany & Co. of New York produced the earliest Bryan Dollar pieces, establishing the format that other manufacturers would follow. This variety is distinguished by its specifications: 823 Grains, 52mm, September 14, 1896, reverse shows government dollar. The 'comparative' Bryan Dollars were struck in coin silver by prestigious Eastern silversmiths including Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island (founded 1831, the world's largest silver company), Tiffany & Co. of New York, Spaulding & Co., and the George H. Ford Company. These sophisticated, text-heavy pieces physically demonstrate the size a silver dollar would be under Bryan's 16-to-1 proposal, often showing the smaller contemporary Morgan dollar for comparison. The 'satirical' Bryan pieces were crudely cast in base metals with mocking slogans like 'In God We Trust, In Bryan We Bust' and 'United Snakes of America.' The HK numbering system groups so-called dollars broadly by type: exposition and commemorative pieces in the lower numbers, with monetary, miscellaneous, and later additions in higher ranges. Lettered suffixes (a, b, c, d) typically indicate variant compositions or die states of the same basic design, while entries above HK-900 include pieces added in later catalog supplements.

Rarity Notes

Bryan Dollars survive in varying numbers depending on the manufacturer and variety. Tiffany-manufactured pieces are among the more sought-after Bryan Dollar varieties due to the prestige of the maker.

Cross References

HK-779