Lot 1407
1900 Lafayette Dollar. PCGS graded MS-65 PQ. CAC Approved. Lovely light golden toning. Only 36,026 minted. Bold, rolling-fresh finish, as frosty as when first issued. Difficult to find a Lafayette Dollar so nice. Next a word about the strike. The pressure transmitted from the die to the blank reveals itself in sharp portraits of the two men, as well as on the seated horseman from the equestrian statue of Lafayette in Paris.
America's first Commemorative Silver Dollar, the designs were by Charles E. Barber after an engraving of Houdon's bust of Washington. On the reverse, Barber depicted the Lafayette equestrian statue at the Paris Exposition of 1900. Lafayette Dollars were sold to defray part of the cost of completing Paul Wayland Bartlett's statue of the French General, then under construction in Paris for display at the exposition. Out of an authorization for 50,000 pieces, 36,000 were sold, the remainder being melted.
The Lafayette silver dollar was minted in one day, December 14, 1899, at the Philadelphia Mint, this being the 100th anniversary of the death of George Washington. When queried about prestriking the coins, for it was not yet 1900, the date on the coin, the Mint took the position that the date did not represent the striking at all but, simply, observed the year that the Paris Exposition was held, this being noted on the reverse. By this logic the present coin is dateless. Such little sidelights are interesting in the collecting of the series.
The 1900 Lafayette dollar is very unusual, indeed unique among coinage of its era, for the dies were made by hand. The motifs were impressed on the obverse and reverse, and then by use of hand punches the dates and numerals were added around the border -- in the old-style process generally in use in the 1830s and before, but long obsolete by 1899. The reason for doing this is not clear today. Probably it was one of expediency. A number of die pairs were needed, and quickly, since the normal hubbing and master die process was bypassed. Accordingly, this is the only commemorative coin that can be collected today by die variety! Pop 273; 98 finer (PCGS # 9222) .
Estimated Value $6,000 - 7,000.
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| Realized $8,519 |
