102058 | UNITED STATES. Satirical cast type metal "Bryan Dime."

102058  |  UNITED STATES. Satirical cast type metal "Bryan Dime." Issued 1896 as a campaign souvenir for the McKinley–Bryan presidential race (50mm, 54.32 g, 1h).

 

Both sides: "ONE DIME" in two lines between outer border of "FREE COINAGE" and "1896" between four stars. Edge: Light seam and some other marks.

 

Cf. Schornstein 304-306 (for similar types, but not with the design duplicated on the reverse). Choice Extremely Fine. Deep charcoal gray surfaces, some scattered marks are noted as is typical for these types. Very rare.

 

The debate between the gold standard and the free and unlimited coinage of silver played out in large part during the 1896 presidential campaigns of William McKinley, the Republican, and William Jennings Bryan, the Democrat. Known for his famous "Cross of Gold" speech, Bryan was mocked and derided for his stance on bimetallism by those in Republican and business circles. As such, a number of campaign items were produced during the campaign expressing this derision, with many poking fun at bimetallism's feasibility through oversized "silver" dollars and dimes, such as this piece.

 

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