| In the late 19th Century there was an imbalance between the value of silver in a silver dollar vs. the value of gold in a gold dollar. While both coins had a face value of one dollar, the value of the metal content was significantly different in that the gold in a dollar was worth roughly double than the silver in a silver dollar. The So-Called Bryan Dollars were produced to illustrate this concept. Some of the Bryan Dollars issued were the same size as a typical silver dollar of the time and would have the then current market value of the silver content marked on the piece. There are several varieties of Bryan Dollars, all of which are popular amongst collectors of So-Called Dollars and political exonumia. The example offered here is the scarce type made by Gorham Mfg. Co. and is same size and silver content as a government silver dollar and is listed as HK-783 in the Hibler-Kappen reference on So-Called Dollars. This 1900 dated HK-783 Reeded Edge Bryan Dollar by Gorham has been graded MS63 by NGC and is encapsulated in a newer-style edge-view holder. The medal wonderfully illustrates that a U.S. silver dollar only contained 48 cents of silver as of July 5, 1900. The example here is wonderfully toned on both sides with slightly prooflike fields that bring the electric blue color to life. The photos do not show the color as well as it appears in hand so a video is also provided which may help to show the overall look. The piece is free of major hits or marks and just a few light hairlines on the open fields of the reverse seemingly limit the grade. Only two (2) examples of this medal have been graded higher by NGC. An amazing example of the HK-783 that would be difficult to find with more overall eye appeal.
Because of the difficulty in capturing the overall look of the coin in a single image, I have also included a short high-definition video of the coin towards the bottom of this listing in an attempt to give you a better idea of what this coin will look like in hand. Please note that you may need to adjust the video quality to 1080p and may need to increase the size of the video to full screen in order to see the coin in maximum detail.
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