Morgan Dollar 'What Is It'?

[jkress]

I found this item very early spring 2012. :confused: It is pictured on the left side of both photos below.
I dug it from a wooded area of a park here that dates back to the late 1800's.

It's motif seems to resemble a Morgan Dollar... both front and back, but this relic is much larger compared to the real one.

Any ideas? :->

http://jkress.com/AmericanDetectoristMisc2013/pictures/picture-1.jpg

http://jkress.com/AmericanDetectoristMisc2013/pictures/picture-2.jpg

[tanacat]

:confused: :shocked04:stretcher: :thinkingabout:

I have no idea! Am very curious though- I'll be keeping an eye on this thread... :yes:

[Tony Two-Cent]

Yeah, I'm stumped too. :thinkingabout:

I think it's neat, whatever it is! :yes:

[freemindstuck]

It is cool whatever it is. Here is a link to copper morgan dollar replica pendants. It could have been a pendant or something else?
http://www.shopwiki.com/d/659714/424856724/Morgan-Dollar-Replica-in-Copper-Pendant

[fyrffytr1]

Could it be part of a novelty coin. Here's a link to a page showing some. Scroll down for the Morgan.
http://www.jakesmp.com/Numismatic_novelties/NN_004_coin_replicas_M.html

[del]

Hey Joe what is your guess on the composition of the piece??

[Sal66]

That's what I was thinking, maybe a novelty coin.

[jkress]

Thanks for your thoughts folks. If it was a novelty coin, it would be quite large as a complete piece. :shocked04: As you can see, if the
mystery piece was whole... it would be quite large compared to the original Morgan dollar in the picture.

I'm not sure of the metal composition, definitely an alloy of some type. There is no rust on it. I'd guess the thickness to be almost a quarter inch.

[z118]

That is pretty cool... It could be part of a large novelty coin. I dug a complete one once, although mine was an IH. As you pointed out though yours is not an exact match to a Morgan so I'm not so sure. One way or another it is a very neat item!

[jkress]

That is pretty cool... It could be part of a large novelty coin. I dug a complete one once, although mine was an IH. As you pointed out though yours is not an exact match to a Morgan so I'm not so sure. One way or another it is a very neat item!

Wow!!! Your picture is certainly of one GREAT big IH! 1877 :smitten: :peace:

I just might have to digitally and proportionately recreate the rest of this piece... to see how big it would be compared to the IH you posted here. :yes:

Thank you Z. :)

[del]

Joe i believe your item is a pewter campaign medal , it should measure about 3.5 inches across and is whats refered to as a pewter &quot:beerbuddy:ryan dollar of 1896 , he was a delegate running for election .

a bit of info on Bryan...

[b]WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), lawyer, orator and political leader, was born in Salem, IL, and was graduated from Illinois College (1881). He practiced law at Janesville, IL, and later at Lincoln, NE. &quot:beerbuddy:oy Orator of the Platte and able debater, he was Democratic Congressman (1891-95).

Bryan gained national recognition as leader of free-silver movement in 1893 as result of remarkable speech in opposition to repeal of silver clause of Sherman Act. He became allied with free-silver advocates in 1894 and ran for U.S. Senate on silver platform but was defeated. He was editor of Omaha World Herald, 1894-96, in which bimetallism was championed.

William H. (Coin) Harvey wrote the book, Coin's Financial School, in 1894, stating the doctrines of the Silverites in simple language and with seemingly unanswerable logic. Bryan, the silver orator, knew the arguments presented in the book by heart, and expounded them in many speeches throughout the country. For him the battle for free silver became a holy war.

His boundless energy was responsible largely for the series of conferences in 1895 that strove to coordinate the work of the various silver leagues and unions with a view to capture of the Democratic national convention the following summer. In 1894, he had secured the first official adoption of the 16 to 1 plank by the Democratic convention in Nebraska. By the end of 1895, Democratic conventions in 30 of the 44 states had declared for free silver.

A delegate to the Democratic national convention in 1896, Bryan won control, wrote the platform, and delivered his famous cross-of-gold speech, which led to his nomination for the Presidency. Climax of the address was the passage, You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.

The Democrats made free silver their major issue. Their platform stated, We demand the free and unlimited coinage of both silver and gold at the present legal ratio of sixteen to one... The commercial ratio at the time, however, was more than twice as great. Bryan also was nominated by the Populists and by the National Silver Party.

During the campaign, he traveled 18,000 miles in 27 states and made 600 speeches, a record. Republican opponents went beyond justifiable limits when they charged he was a mouth-ing, slobbering, demagogue whose patriotism is all in his jawbone.

William McKinley, Republican candidate, defeated Bryan, 271 electoral votes to 176, carrying East and Midwest. Bryan lost to McKinley again in 1900 and to William H. Taft in 1908. The Democratic platform in 1900 was for free-silver and against imperialism. Despite his losses, Bryan was virtual dictator of the Democratic party for 30 years and was instrumental in gaining the nomination for Woodrow Wilson in 1912. Named Secretary of State by Wilson, he resigned in 1915 because he did not agree with the President's policy after sinking of the Lusitania. He supported Wilson's renomination in 1916, however.

Following his 1900 defeat, Bryan edited The Commoner, a weekly political journal, at Lincoln, NE. He became known as The Great Commoner. After resigning from Wilson's cabinet, he became Chautauqua lecturer, advocating popular election of senators, creation of a labor department in the cabinet, required publication of newspaper ownership and circulation, an income tax, woman suffrage and national prohibition, and was largely responsible for their adoption.

A prosecuting attorney in trial of John T. Scopes, a Dayton, TN, teacher who had been indicted for teaching evolution in his classroom, Bryan lost the decision in the case to Clarence Darrow, defense counsel. He died July 26, 1925, a few days after the trial had ended.

[B]

heres a link to the medal info
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Coin-Collecting-2297/2009/11/Bryan-Dollar-1.htm

[Sal66]

:interesting: Dan, It's not often that I disagree with you on, well anything but I think your wrong on this one. I compared the two side by side and it's totally clear that the two are different in many ways. The one found : The eyes are closer to the outside of the face , thee Bryan one their set back, The Nose is more crude and not as perfect to the original. The chin is very chubby on the dug one and lastly the hair style is different. On the Bryan one her hair is more fine and the dug one it doesn't have as much detail or hair strands rather . I believe it's a bad Copy probably made in one of the Asian Countries. The type of metal doesn't even look the same. The one you researched looks much nicer and well made. Compare the side by side and I'm sure you'll see what I'm talking about. One other thing I forgot, look at the eagles head and wings also. I think the only real way to tell for sure is if the date part was found. Maybe it's still out there. It might be worth a try.
Maybe I'm wrong and the dirt is obstructing my view , but lets see what others think before I'm thrown to the Lions lol

[del]

you could be right Sal , but try googling Bryan dollar medal or the like . you'll see there were quite a few varieties (all didn't look exactly) and the metal compositon is labeled anywhere from pewter to white metal . heres a couple more to ponder at notice the differences.

[Sal66]

The middle one looks closer. The nostrils are larger, less definition in the hair, chubby chin and the birds head is skinnier like the one found. Thanks for letting me know there were more Varieties. I'd be happier if the date part was found though. That would be the Smoking Gun to the mystery.
:beerbuddy:

[jkress]

Wow!!!! I really didn't think I'd get this much info on the piece. :shocked04: |:confused:)

Thank you Sal and Del. :)

Let's start with this...
This measured at 2.8. Since this is just a portion of the whole, do you think the missing section would complete a full 3.5?
[attachimg=1]

In my opinion this 'whole piece' would be larger than 3.5. :dontknow: