1901 Lesher Dollar - HK-1021, H.H. Rosser

Coin Details

Auction Record

$52,800 • XF45 NGC • 02-2020 • Kagin's Henderson-Marchase Collection

Description

The 1901 Lesher Dollar HK-1021, stamped for H.H. Rosser of Victor, Colorado, is unique. The merchant name "H. H. ROSSER" is hand-engraved on the obverse imprint space. Rosser operated a stationery and confectionery shop in Victor — Lesher's own hometown — making this a distinctly local merchant partnership. Some sources also describe Rosser as a cigar store operator, which may reflect either a different or combined business. The Rosser variety achieved the second-highest price in the Henderson-Marchase Collection sale at Kagin's in February 2020, realizing $52,800 against an estimate of $35,000-$45,000. The strong result reflects both the piece's uniqueness and the deep collector interest in Lesher Dollars, particularly merchant types from Victor itself — the birthplace of the entire Referendum Dollar enterprise. Rosser's location in Victor connects this piece directly to the community that was most familiar with Lesher's silver currency. Victor, with a population of approximately 18,000 at its peak, was a prosperous mining town on the western slope of Pikes Peak where Lesher had established himself after decades in Colorado's mining camps. The concentration of several merchant participants in Victor (Bumstead, Cohen, Mullen, and Rosser) reflects the town's particular embrace of Lesher's populist silver currency vision.

Rarity Notes

R-9 / Unique. Only 1 known specimen. Second-highest price in the Henderson-Marchase Collection sale.

Cross References

HK-1021; Zerbe-16 (Z-16); PCGS #19020