1804 DOLLAR NUMISMATIC LITERATURE

The title of this article is the title of my exhibit at this year's World's Fair of Money. It will be the marquee exhibit of the convention. For more than 35 years, I've been building a collection of numismatic literature, works of art, and memorabilia associated with the Dexter 1804 Dollar. The collection also includes important items that help tell the story of The Dollar of 1804.

 
1832 Illustration of an 1804 Dollar

I have never exhibited this collection in its entirety. I exhibited parts of the collection about a decade ago, but since then I've added many very rare and important items, including a second example of four known 1884 Adolph Weyl auction catalogs which exhibits what is now known as the Dexter Dollar on the front cover; the unique leather-bound 1941 Dunham catalog, obtained from the Brent Pogue collection, with the name of Charles M. Williams embossed on the front cover, who was the purchaser of the Dexter Dollar from the Dunham sale, the catalog has large photographs bound in of the Dexter Dollar, the 1822 $5, and the "exceedingly rare" 1855 Kellogg & Co. Proof $50 gold coin; other outstanding highlights are two copies of the 1832 Urosius Andreits journal containing a line drawing of an 1804-dated U.S. silver dollar, I obtained one copy from the Eric Newman collection, the other from a rare book dealer in Germany. These journals from 1832 are important because silver dollars that ended up bearing the 1804 date were first ordered by President Andrew Jackson in 1834.

Most notable, for researchers and students of 1804 dollars and early American coins, are copies of more than 100 letters and documents pertaining to the history of the Dexter Dollar that will be displayed in a desktop catalog-style organizer so that people can page through them. Nearly all the originals are property of libraries and museums, so copies are all that are available for public exhibition. These documents will be in chronological date order so that researchers and students can easily find specific areas of interest. They have never been previously exhibited as a collection. These letters and documents are chronicled in my book, The Dollar of 1804 – The U.S. Mint's Hidden Secret…as revealed by the true story of the "Dexter Dollar," The King of American Coins.

The collection will be exhibited in two parts. The first part will tell the story of the Dexter Dollar. The second part will tell the story of The Dollar of 1804. Highlights of the second part include a copy of the original 1834 Presidential Directive ordering the striking of presentation proof sets of 1834. I obtained it many years ago directly from the National Archives in Philadelphia. It was exciting for me to actually hold that legendary, original, fragile document in my hands!

 

Other items on exhibit will include original copies of Numismatic News from 1962 when British dealer David Spink announced the existence of the King of Siam Proof Set. Bringing that set to light and tying it to the Presidential Directive referenced above revealed the exact reason proof silver dollars bearing the 1804 date were coined. Of course, my unique works of art commissioned by James Vila Dexter himself, circa 1887, will also be on display at the convention.

The ANA will have the Idler 1804 dollar on display, formerly owned by H.O. Granberg, Chairman and President of the ANA between 1911 and 1915, who was from my hometown, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I purchased his home, later donating his personal safe, where the Idler Dollar would have been stored, to the ANA where it rests in the ANA museum near the coin. Granberg's family was the source of the original 1887 James V. Dexter works of art commemorating his 1804 silver dollar. The red display case containing the 1804 dollar in the work of art will be displayed. Limited edition prints of Dexter's artwork will be available for purchase at the convention.

 

I'll be at the convention all week and will welcome requests for personal small-group tours through the collection. I am in the process of working with the ANA in building the exhibit. Hopefully we'll be able to add some important 1804 dollar surprises to the World's Fair of Money.

To visit Mark's website, see:
https://1804dollar.com/

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