1900 Bryan Money SCH-828

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as SCH-828 in the Schornstein Bryan Money reference, this 1900 token documents the extraordinary volume of political material produced during the Bryan presidential campaigns. 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. 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. Each HK number represents a distinct combination of design, composition, and die state, creating a collecting framework that rewards careful study and attention to detail. The monetary so-called dollars occupy a special niche within this framework, as they represent not just commemorative art but actual experiments in private coinage, political advocacy through medallic form, and commentary on the great monetary debates that shaped American economic history.

Rarity Notes

Bryan Money tokens cataloged in the Schornstein reference vary widely in rarity. Many SCH-numbered varieties are rare, with only a handful of known examples for some numbers. The comprehensive Schornstein catalog includes hundreds of varieties, and assembling a complete collection represents a significant numismatic challenge.