1896 Bryan Dollar HK-781, Gorham, S-7 Uniface

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as HK-781 in the Hibler-Kappen reference, this 1896 Bryan Dollar documents the most intense monetary policy debate since the founding of the Republic. This variety: Same as HK-780 obverse, uniface. Fred Schornstein's 2001 TAMS publication 'Bryan Money' (with a 2012 supplement and price guide) provides the definitive catalog using SCH numbers alongside HK numbers. The HK series spans HK-777 through HK-786 and HK-1010 through HK-1015, with the earliest Tiffany productions (HK-777 at 49mm, 776 1/3 grains) and the Gorham series (HK-780 through HK-783) being the most collected. The unique HK-1015, a 54mm Bryan vs. McKinley piece, is known from only one specimen. Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island, founded in 1831, was the world's largest silver company and produced several Bryan Dollar varieties with distinctive cartwheel reverses. This variety is distinguished by its specifications: Same as HK-780 obverse, uniface. 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. The Hibler-Kappen catalog, first published in 1963 by Harold E. Hibler and Charles V. Kappen as 'So-Called Dollars: An Illustrated Standard Catalog,' provides the systematic numbering system (HK numbers) used to identify and classify hundreds of American medals approximately the size of a silver dollar. The catalog has been revised and expanded in subsequent editions, with Jeff Shevlin's contributions significantly expanding the known census.

Rarity Notes

Bryan Dollars survive in varying numbers depending on the manufacturer and variety. Gorham-manufactured pieces are among the more available Bryan Dollar varieties.

Cross References

HK-781