1901 Lesher Dollar - HK-1021a, A.W. Clark

Coin Details

Description

The 1901 Lesher Dollar HK-1021a, stamped for A.W. Clark of Denver, Colorado, is unique. The hand-engraved imprint reads "A.W. CLARK / DRUGGIST / DENVER, COLO." Clark was a druggist (pharmacist) in Denver, making him one of two Denver-based merchants in the Lesher Dollar program alongside jeweler Boyd Park. The uniqueness of the Clark piece, combined with its hand-engraved (rather than punched) merchant identification, indicates it was a specially prepared sample or presentation piece rather than part of a larger merchant allocation. Some unique Lesher Dollar merchant types — including Clark, along with H. Stein and H.H. Rosser — may represent merchants who expressed interest in the program but never ordered or received full batches of pieces. The Clark variety was part of the group of previously undocumented Lesher Dollar types that emerged in the early twenty-first century through the research efforts of specialists including Dr. Philip W. Whiteley. These discoveries expanded the known Lesher Dollar variety catalog well beyond the original Zerbe enumeration, revealing that Lesher's merchant network was broader than previously understood. Each unique or near-unique discovery adds to the historical record of this remarkable private silver currency experiment.

Rarity Notes

R-9 / Unique. Only 1 known specimen. Hand-engraved merchant identification indicates a sample or presentation piece.

Cross References

HK-1021a; Zerbe-18 (Z-18); PCGS #19018