1901 Lesher Dollar - HK-791, Imprint Type

Coin Details

Description

The 1901 Lesher Dollar HK-791, the Imprint Type, is the base design for all 1901 Lesher Referendum Souvenir Dollars. This type represents a significant redesign from the 1900 issues: the face value was reduced from $1.25 to $1.00, the diameter decreased from 35mm to approximately 33mm, and the weight was lowered from 480 grains to 412.5 grains — matching the weight of a standard United States silver dollar while maintaining the superior.950 fine silver content. The 1901 obverse retains Herman Otto's mining scene but adds "IN THE PEOPLE WE TRUST" across the top — a pointed reworking of "IN GOD WE TRUST" that emphasizes Lesher's populist belief in direct democratic acceptance of silver currency. A blank rectangular space at the bottom was designed to receive individual merchant stamps, names, or engravings. The reverse was updated with Lesher's newly granted patent and trademark information: "U.S. PATENT NO. 62,695" and "TRADE MARK REG U.S. PAT OFF NO 36,192, APR. 9, 1901." The Imprint Type without any merchant name represents either unsold inventory that was never assigned to a merchant, or pieces retained by Lesher himself. Each bears an individually hand-punched serial number. These unstamped pieces provide the clearest view of the base 1901 design before merchant customization, making them important reference specimens for the series.

Rarity Notes

R-6. Mintage undocumented — base pieces without merchant stamps. Scarce but not among the rarest 1901 types.

Cross References

HK-791; Zerbe-5 (Z-5); PCGS #19005