{"product_id":"forgotten-colorado-silver-joseph-leshers-defiant-coins-9781540217158","title":"Forgotten Colorado Silver: Joseph Lesher's Defiant Coins","description":"\u003cp\u003e • Author(s): Robert D. Leonard Jr\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher: History Press Library Editions\u003cbr\u003e • Publisher Imprint: History Press Library Editions\u003cbr\u003e • BISAC: United States - State \u0026amp; Local - West (AK, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the turn of the last century, miner Joseph Lesher attempted to raise the price of silver by privately minting octagonal \"Referendum souvenir medal\" coins with values of $1.25 or $1. They were common in Victor, Cripple Creek, Denver and other places in Colorado in the days after William Jennings Bryan fought unsuccessfully for free silver. Surviving an initial dust-up with the Secret Service, Lesher found a loophole to place them in circulation in 1900 and 1901. Today, coin collectors pay more than $1,000 for one. This is the story of Joseph Lesher and his audacious private mint, along with the merchants in the mining towns and elsewhere who supported him.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"History Press Library Editions","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":45128412987543,"sku":"9781540217158","price":2247.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0666\/3471\/1191\/files\/9781540217158.webp?v=1767101499","url":"https:\/\/atlanticbooks.com\/products\/forgotten-colorado-silver-joseph-leshers-defiant-coins-9781540217158","provider":"Atlantic Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}