Farran Zerbe's 1904 Gold Louisiana Purchase Exposition (LPE) Medals

Zoins

I just ran across this gorgeous flip over double struck clashed dies piece on CoinFacts!

I love how the under type ghosting comes through so strongly on this!

Does anyone know who struck these for Zerbe?

Here's more info on Joseph Farran Zerbe:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farran_Zerbe

1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Medallette - gold - PCGS MS66 POP 29/1/0

• Cert: https://www.pcgs.com/cert/41664544

Byers

@Zoins

Very cool flip over double struck!

GoldenEgg

@Byers said:
@Zoins

Very cool flip over double struck!

Actually looks like a die clash to me.

Zoins

@GoldenEgg said:

@Byers said:
@Zoins

Very cool flip over double struck!

Actually looks like a die clash to me.

I think you’re right! The undertype is reversed!

This makes it more interesting as it’s a variety. I wonder how many are struck like this as I’ve never seen another!

Is this a known variety or did we just make a discovery here? 😃

Byers

Very cool clashed dies!

CaptHenway

The one I owned had clash marks, but I don’t remember them as being this strong.

Zoins

@CaptHenway said:
The one I owned had clash marks, but I don’t remember them as being this strong.

Do you know if there's an existing variety designation for this die clash?

WiscKau

Found some info:

The smallest amount of gold that has ever been issued in the form of coins were the quarters and half-dollars issued by private gold producers of California for a few years following the gold finds of ’49. These were in a measure a necessity, for the reason that small currency was then decidedly scarce on the Pacific coast. These diminutive gold coins have proved in recent years a decided curiosity to many and have advanced in value to about 500 per cent.

The interest found for these small gold pieces has prompted Farran Zerbe, chief of the World’s Fair souvenir coin department, to privately issue gold pieces comparable with the California gold quarters and halves, as companions for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar. They are coined from gold mined in the Louisiana territory and in design are typical of the territory and its centennial celebration. The obverse bears a fleur-de-lis with “L. P. E.” in the extended points; surrounding are 14 stars representing the 14 Louisiana states and the date 1904. The reverse is inscribed with the fractions ½ or ¼ surrounded by Louisiana gold.

In connection with the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar these diminutive gold pieces are sold at face value, the set of three pieces commanding $3.75, and are obtainable direct from the exposition’s coin department. Three dollars, the price originally established for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar, is and will positively be maintained.

Mount Vernon (Ky.) Signal, FAIR MANUFACTURING COINS, Gold Pieces Comparing with California Quarters and Halves Are Made at the Exposition, September 30, 1904.

Zoins

@WiscKau said:
Found some info:

The smallest amount of gold that has ever been issued in the form of coins were the quarters and half-dollars issued by private gold producers of California for a few years following the gold finds of ’49. These were in a measure a necessity, for the reason that small currency was then decidedly scarce on the Pacific coast. These diminutive gold coins have proved in recent years a decided curiosity to many and have advanced in value to about 500 per cent.

The interest found for these small gold pieces has prompted Farran Zerbe, chief of the World’s Fair souvenir coin department, to privately issue gold pieces comparable with the California gold quarters and halves, as companions for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar. They are coined from gold mined in the Louisiana territory and in design are typical of the territory and its centennial celebration. The obverse bears a fleur-de-lis with “L. P. E.” in the extended points; surrounding are 14 stars representing the 14 Louisiana states and the date 1904. The reverse is inscribed with the fractions ½ or ¼ surrounded by Louisiana gold.

In connection with the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar these diminutive gold pieces are sold at face value, the set of three pieces commanding $3.75, and are obtainable direct from the exposition’s coin department. Three dollars, the price originally established for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar, is and will positively be maintained.

Mount Vernon (Ky.) Signal, FAIR MANUFACTURING COINS, Gold Pieces Comparing with California Quarters and Halves Are Made at the Exposition, September 30, 1904.

Thanks for the info! Here's some better formatting:

The smallest amount of gold that has ever been issued in the form of coins were the quarters and half-dollars issued by private gold producers of California for a few years following the gold finds of ’49. These were in a measure a necessity, for the reason that small currency was then decidedly scarce on the Pacific coast. These diminutive gold coins have proved in recent years a decided curiosity to many and have advanced in value to about 500 per cent.

The interest found for these small gold pieces has prompted Farran Zerbe, chief of the World’s Fair souvenir coin department, to privately issue gold pieces comparable with the California gold quarters and halves, as companions for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar. They are coined from gold mined in the Louisiana territory and in design are typical of the territory and its centennial celebration. The obverse bears a fleur-de-lis with “L. P. E.” in the extended points; surrounding are 14 stars representing the 14 Louisiana states and the date 1904. The reverse is inscribed with the fractions ½ or ¼ surrounded by Louisiana gold.

In connection with the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar these diminutive gold pieces are sold at face value, the set of three pieces commanding $3.75, and are obtainable direct from the exposition’s coin department. Three dollars, the price originally established for the Louisiana souvenir gold dollar, is and will positively be maintained.

PerryHall

Definitely a medal struck from clashed dies based on the mirror image on the medal. This is quite common on US gold dollars because of the very thin planchets used required that the dies be spaced very close together. Die clashes seem to appear on the Type 2 gold dollar more often than not.

ricko

That is a very clearly defined die clash.... Likely the most prominent I have ever seen. Cheers, RickO

WiscKau

Thanks.

Couldn't figure it out.

CaptHenway

@Zoins said:

@CaptHenway said:
The one I owned had clash marks, but I don’t remember them as being this strong.

Do you know if there's an existing variety designation for this die clash?

I don't think so.

tokenpro

The majority of the Zerbe gold 1/4 (both varieties) & 1/2 1904 show clash marks or weak, uneven strikes due to the very thin planchets even thinner than the US gold dollars mentioned above. The piece in the OP is an unusually clean and bold strike in showing the clash.

LanceNewmanOCC

unless there is more than 1 pair of dies at work here, imo, based on the 3 images on CF, the dies clashed early on, were then noticed by someone, then they got a team of 10 people with grinders and systematically and emphatically started doing their best to remove all detail from the dies and judging by the later die states, they nearly accomplished their goal ! also, the dies started failing probably not too long after this.

L I N K

WiscKau

Here is a link for you:

https://filmsgraded.com/mehart/lfr/index.htm

Zoins

@LanceNewmanOCC said:
unless there is more than 1 pair of dies at work here, imo, based on the 3 images on CF, the dies clashed early on, were then noticed by someone, then they got a team of 10 people with grinders and systematically and emphatically started doing their best to remove all detail from the dies and judging by the later die states, they nearly accomplished their goal ! also, the dies started failing probably not too long after this.

L I N K

Very cool.

That CoinFacts link shows one with the came die clash, but I just ran across one with a different die clash!

Same die clash:

Different die clash:

I also found the one with the die crack: