bill

I've added several of the various pieces to my collection since the original post. They are great collectible pieces and yours appear to be especially nice.

Great finds. I will confess that I recently had the opportunity to have lunch with Bob and see some of his collection. He has a great eye for medals and a knack for finding elusive pieces. If anyone manages to complete this series, I'm willing to bet he will.

Okay, its not in the best of shape, but it didn't cost very much. How could I pass an encased 1909 VDB cent from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition? Given that it was a west coast exposition, it should have been a S mint VDB. Oh well, it probably would have been too expensive if it had been so.

Bravo. In addition to color and luster, you've also captured the fine detail of the coin. An exceptional photograph. Do you care to expand on the setup for this image (types of lights, light position, f-stop, exposure, etc).

Brass or maybe a plated pot metal. It is light weight.

The silver version of the official mint struck medal.

While Bryan money is primarily satirical, poking fun at the silver ratio with gold, McKinley pieces focused on sound money. These took the form of "gold bugs" among other pieces. A McKinley supporter may have worn this lapel stud in support of gold:

Although it is not exactly related to Bryan money, it is related to the Whipple dollar and may be a part of the more general societal comment on the status of silver: A shell as is the Whipple dollar, except this one has an actual insert. This shell card is believed to have been issued for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. It is an advertising piece for Howe Scales and the number written into the Weight space is presumable the weight of the person receiving the shell card. The choice of the Trade Dollar design is a nice contrast with the Morgan dollar design on the Whipple dollar.

I think they were souvenirs for the home or office. I suspect they were never used for coins, rather for other odds and ends or just decorative.

An advertising piece for United Cigars. It is struck in brass and high relief. This is a tough piece in the preservation presented here. I got lucky at a coin show when I found this example.

I'll go after it in the same depth as the California Midwinter, but my challenge will be celluloid buttons if I want to count them in a complete collection. The challenge is knowing when I have them all if I am willing to go after them and pay the price. Celluloid buttons were not really around in 1894. One of the events in the midway struck a saloon token and I already know that will be the toughest piece to acquire, much more difficult than the gold set. One piece struck to commemorate Taft will be another elusive piece. But, we'll see. Update: I know of one Taft medal from the AYPE and I have the opportunity to compete for it, but I already know it will be out of my price range. It is also doubtful that I will acquire a silver Utah medal unless I get really lucky one day.

I'll add them when I can. This is one set that I am not ready to sell.

Charbneau so-called dollars and our related research. Promoting the book!

Joseph Mayer & Bros. made a large number of souvenirs for the exposition in addition to selling the official medals. A few examples include: A watch fob: Another watch fob: and a pin:

The set that sparked my interest and started me on this collecting topic. The three pieces are not hard to find, but a set with an original box is a difficult acquisition. These pieces were designed by Jules Charbneau and were likely struck by Joseph Mayer & Bros. in Seattle.

As with other expositions, some states had their own buildings and displays promoting their states. Utah issued a silver and a copper medal available in their exhibit. The silver medal is rare. Copper medals are more readily available: Hibler & Kappan 359 Copper, 38mm Produced by Diegas & Clist. N.Y.

Also posted elsewhere, but repeated for the new thread. The official award medal were all struck in bronze and the text on the reverse changed for Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Now that my 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition collection has matured, I've decided to tackle material from the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. My interest was sparked by research into Jules Charbneau and Seattle, small gold tokens, and so-called dollars in general. I'll use this thread to post my collection as it grows, much as I have done with the California Midwinter pieces. I'll start with the official medal struck by the U.S. Mint in the Government Building at the Exposition. Joseph Mayer & Brothers were the official distributors of r the medals. Hibler & Kappen 355 Copper, 32mm The reverse of the official medal was also used for a Government Building medal. These were also struck by the mint, but I have not really researched the pieces that thoroughly. Exposition logos were not copyrighted and several companies struck medal with very similar designs. Some are signed, some are not. Hibler & Kappan 364 Brass, 33mm

The Chicago Coin Club was the local host for the 2011 ANA convention this summer. The club issued their own medal for the show: They used the same medal format to create gifts for the Numismatic Theater speakers. I proudly wore mine for the remainder of the convention. The Chicago Coin Club has a lot of class in my opinion.

Okay, so soon after finishing I have the opportunity to acquire an unlisted piece that I never planned on owning as I never planned on having the opportunity to buy one. A fellow collector of Midwinter material decided to sell one of his. So, I present an unlisted silver-plated copy of the "official medal." It is worn, but the plating is obvious. Actually it appears to have been applied with something more akin to a gilting process, a silver wash if you will.

Another large satirical although I do not know where this one was made. Although one maker received a design patent for the basic design, the Secret Service began seizing these satirical medals as counterfeits, as if one might mistake them for a real silver dollar. Cast in type metal, 87mm Schornstein 814 Zerbe -

The last listed so-called dollar that I did not have in my collection. As it stands today, there is one die variety of a listed piece that I do not have in my collection and one shell that I do not have (also an unlisted piece). Otherwise, I now have every listed and unlisted piece known to me. There are two die trials of one piece that I do not own, but they are unique. There is one uniface piece that I do not own that may also be a die trial. It is also unlisted. I know of one, possibly two other pieces that I have never seen and I do not own (by definition). I have only read about them. Finally, there is one token attributed to Chicago that I (and others) believe is from the Midwinter Exposition. It is rare and I do not own one. I have seen one picture. So, I can't close the books on this collection, but it will be a challenge to "complete" it to my satisfaction.

I can add a simulated 1915 badge from San Francisco. I believe only one is known (in the ANA collection). I have the gold-plated official medal from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition with the loop as sold at the PPIE. These medals were used for the ANA badges. I paired my medal with the ANA picture of its badge. Their picture was in b&w, so I had to approximate the described gold color of the ribbon. I've never seen it so I don't know what it actually looks like. So, allowing for the off-color of the ribbon, a full badge would look like the one pictured here. My medal is the same medal as used for the badges although I have no way if knowing if it actually came from an ANA badge.

Another of the large "silver dollar" satiricals. This one mede in Worchester, Massachusetts. Cast in "type metal" (used printer's type), 85.5mm Schornstein 714 Zerbe -

My interest in Bryan money was sparked by the acquisition of a Whipple Dollar. I love enigmatic pieces and the Whipple Dollar certainly fits the bill. Whipple dollars are gilt bronze embossed shells. They carry the name of C.M. Whipple and Co. of Westfield, Mass., a buggy whip manufacturer. I've just started trying to research Whipple and I believe he was involved in Republican politics in Massachusetts. If that is the case, this piece might be considered an anti-Bryan piece. The issue is complex as not all Republicans supported the gold standard and not all Democrats supported the free coinage of silver. Where you were located in the country and the needs of local business interests had as big an impact on where you stood as did your party affiliation. I believe the Legal Tender inscription is an important clue to deciphering the purpose of these "store cards."