1901 Silver Lesher Dollar HK-795a, George Mullen Variant

Coin Details

Auction Record

$5,520 MS62 03-02-2020 Kagin's

Description

This Lesher Referendum Dollar (HK-795a) is a privately issued silver dollar produced by Joseph Lesher of Victor, Colorado, in the heart of the Cripple Creek mining district. Lesher's private coinage operated in a legal gray area regarding the federal government's monopoly on currency issuance. According to his 1914 interview with Farran Zerbe (1871-1949), the legendary ANA figure, government agents seized the dies used for the initial and Bumstead types. However, the American Numismatic Society collection, donated by Zerbe himself (including 2 obverse dies, 1 reverse die, 2 punches, and 3 bed plates), complicates the seizure narrative. Zerbe published his account in the American Journal of Numismatics in 1917, and Lesher estimated his total production at 3,000 to 3,500 pieces. The Lesher Referendum Dollars are cataloged from HK-787 through HK-797 and HK-1016 through HK-1021 in the Hibler-Kappen reference. With approximately 20 varieties including sub-varieties, every Lesher Dollar is genuinely rare. Robert D. Leonard Jr., Ken L. Hallenbeck, and Adna G. Wilde Jr. published the definitive modern study 'Forgotten Colorado Silver: Joseph Lesher's Defiant Coins.' Joseph Lesher died at his home in Victor on July 4, 1918, but his coins endure as prized specimens among so-called dollar specialists and Western Americana enthusiasts. 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

Lesher Referendum Dollars are rare across all varieties, with total mintage estimated at only a few hundred pieces per type. The George Mullen variety is among the more frequently encountered Lesher varieties, though still genuinely rare. Die variants and alternative compositions tend to be rarer than the standard types. These pieces are highly prized by collectors of both so-called dollars and Western Americana.

Cross References

HK-795a; PCGS #643512