NGC certifies Bryan Dollars

Fourteen pieces of Bryan Dollars were certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corp.

They were submitted by W. David Perkins, who acquired the group intact over a decade ago from Mrs. A.J. Ostheimer, who along with her husband had purchased them from Farran Zerbe, a giant of numismatics in the early 20th century.

NGC says all are either the single finest graded or tied for that status – some are even several points higher than the second highest graded example. There are several rare varieties in the group, such as the 1900 S-12, HK-783A Bryan Dollar graded NGC MS-65. All 14 pieces are Mint State with one, 1900 S-10, HK-782, graded MS-66 by.

The pieces were created as part of a political protest movement against the gold standard. Farmers and other debtors wanted unlimited coinage of silver dollars to help cause inflation and ease the heavy burdens of their debt repayments, which they blamed on Wall Street bankers.

The dollars are named after Democratic presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan, who ran in 1896 and 1900 and delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech when he was first nominated.