1900 Bryan Dollar HK-783, Gorham, S-12 Reeded Edge

Coin Details

Description

This 1900 Bryan Dollar (HK-783) is a so-called dollar produced during the 1900 presidential campaign of William Jennings Bryan, who championed the free coinage of silver at a ratio of sixteen to one. This piece was manufactured by Gorham Mfg. Co.. 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: 412.5 Grains, 38mm, July 5, 1900. Bryan lost to William McKinley in both 1896 and 1900, then lost to William Howard Taft in 1908. He served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson from 1913 to 1915, negotiating peace treaties with thirty nations before resigning over Wilson's confrontational stance toward Germany after the Lusitania sinking. Bryan later became famous for his prosecution role in the Scopes 'Monkey Trial' in Dayton, Tennessee, where he died on July 26, 1925, five days after the trial concluded. The so-called dollar collecting community has grown significantly since the Hibler-Kappen catalog's initial publication, with specialized dealers, dedicated reference works, and an active collector base supporting a market that values historical significance, artistic merit, rarity, and condition. Heritage Auctions, Stack's Bowers, and other major numismatic auction houses regularly feature so-called dollars in their sales.

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-783