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Colorado. Victor. 1900 A.B. Bumstead. Jos. Lesher’s Referendum Souvenir Medal or Dollar. Zerbe-2, HK

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:1,750.00 USD Estimated At:3,500.00 - 5,000.00 USD
Colorado. Victor. 1900 A.B. Bumstead. Jos. Lesher’s Referendum Souvenir Medal or Dollar. Zerbe-2, HK
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This item SOLD at 2020 Feb 28 @ 19:33UTC-5 : EST/CDT
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Colorado. Victor. 1900 A.B. Bumstead. Jos. Lesher’s Referendum Souvenir Medal or Dollar. Zerbe-2, HK-788. Rarity-5. AU-55 NGC. Serial No. 142.

Dies as illustrated. Flourishes at fasces on reverse. The lustrous steel-gray surfaces offer some reflectivity in a bright light, and both sides are aglow with pale champagne-gold toning highlights. The devices are sharp and the surfaces offer little evidence of its brief stay in local commerce, including the problem-free octagonal rims. One of only 103 recorded survivors. A great looking example of one of the issues of the most prolific user of Lesher’s souvenir pieces, Mayflower descendant Arthur Bolles Bumstead, a popular grocer.
NGC Census: 5; 15 finer (MS-63 finest). This type differs greatly and is much more visually striking than the First Type. The obverse features a panoramic view of Pikes Peak and the Cripple Creek mining district, and the words “Pikes Peak Silver Mine” are struck into the top portion of the medal. Lesher also changed the wording of this medal from “A Commodity Will Give In Exchange Curency Coin or Merchandise at Face Value” to “A Commodity Will Give In Exchange Merchandise at A.B. Bumstead.” The reverse has the same wording as the First Type but is much more detailed and bears the state seal of Colorado. By making his Referendums good for merchandise at a single place of business only, Lesher turned them into legal tokens, thwarting the Secret Service. German hand engraver Herman Otto, engraved the dies for all subsequent types and varieties including this type. This and all subsequent Referendums were made by the Denver Novelty Works.
On December 8, 1900, Lesher returned to Victor with one thousand pieces (both types, this and next), “and within five hours he had disposed of 800 of them in the district,” per the Victor Daily Record. The recorded serial numbers suggest that a second order was probably placed. However, many of these were melted to be recoined as $1.00 pieces, and the original mintage is unknown.




Grading Company: NGC AU55

Pedigree/Collection: From the William C. Henderson - Christopher Marchase Collection of Lesher Referendum Souvenir Medals.