The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-12
$1,10OPOR TIE DEXTER DOLLAR
WHICH BEARS DATE 1904. WHEN
EVER 1T WAS MINTED.
Authenticity Of All the so-Cailed 1904
Dollars Disputed BY Chicago Numis-
matist VINO Says They We're All Struck
IN o Steam Mint Later Than lSOe.

Authenticity Of All the So-Called 1904
Dollars Disputed by Chicago Numis'
matist VINO Says They were All Struck
IN . Steam Mint Later Than lSOs
W. F. Durham, a druggist OF Chicago
was the purchaser OF the United States
dollar Of 1904, which was put up at auction
at the Collectors Club, S5l Fourth avenue
yesterday. The price paid was Si,i0o
This was the most valuable coin In the
collection OF II. G.. Brown OF Portland
Ore, which was on sale. It Is one OF the
thirteen dollars OF this date known to the
Nexen list. Its last appearance at public
sale was In Philadelphia in May. 1885, when
It was sold to j. d. Dexter for 81, 900. II
was known as the Dexter dollar from this
sale.
Mr.. Durham needed only this coin to
make his collection OF United States coins
complete. He made the trip here from
Chicago for the special purpose Of securing
1t.
Godfrey Charlton Adams, A. NJ. at a
meeting Of the Chicago Numismatic Society
on Sept. 2, read a paper on the 1904 dollar
In which he said that not one OF these coins
can 'be traced or authenticated. Among
other things the paper contains the follow
ing:
1T is a we'll esta blished fact that no
dollars were coined by the United States
in 1904, those bearing this date being chart
tably designated as -restrikes," and were
undoubtedly struck since steam coinage
was invented, or from 1885 to 1880. The
dies were out OF possession OF the Govern
ment for several weeks, presumably not TO
be admired, but for the purpose OF strik-
ing copies for dispersal and sale.
"The ones In the Philadelphia Mint COL
lection are obviously modern frauds, and
any and all so-called 1904 dollars that ever
turned up cannot be traced or authenti-
Gated. There Is also no doubt that the
so-called dollars were at no time connected
with the regular United States coinage
nor were they legally issued as dollars at
any time, Some were struck at the Mint
influence of r. l.. Stuart the old sugar
refiner, and other noted collectors Of that
period, but the coinage of them aroused
such a disturbance that most all Of them
were returned TO the Government: but
there is no evidence that they ever reached
the melting pot"
or the SDexter 1904 dollar" sold yester.
day, Mr.. Adams's paper said
"When the urchaser Dexter) discovered
its flshy authenticity, he commenced suit
for the purchase price, and the decision az
to it's genuineness was left to Mint employ
ees, who never were and never win be
experts or numismatists in any sense Of the
word They decided ~ that, because II
contained the proper amount OF silver and
looked natural it was genuine. So they
did with the notorious 1923 counterfeit
cents
-The carefully prepared list Of 1904 dol,
lars which the Hon. John A. Nexen printed
in the journal of Numismdfics some years
ago contained just thirteen specimens,
but as thirteen is a somewhat unlucky
number, let us add eight more, making
twenty one known, for just eight more have
turned up since that time. and there may be
others"