{"product_id":"forgotten-colorado-silver-joseph-leshers-defiant-coins-9781540217158","title":"Forgotten Colorado Silver: Joseph Lesher's Defiant Coins","description":"At 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.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"History Press Library Editions","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50492840214802,"sku":"9781540217158","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_51858811-f5c8-40f3-b46a-1730506bb93d.jpg?v=1730610298","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/forgotten-colorado-silver-joseph-leshers-defiant-coins-9781540217158","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}