The title of this article is the title of my exhibit at this year's World's Fair of Money. It willbe the marquee exhibit of the convention. For more than 35 years, I've been building acollection of numismatic literature, works of art, and memorabilia associated with theDexter 1804 Dollar. The collection also includes important items that help tell the storyof The Dollar of 1804.

I have never exhibited this collection in its entirety. I exhibited parts of the collectionabout a decade ago, but since then I've added many very rare and important items,including a second example of four known 1884 Adolph Weyl auction catalogs whichexhibits what is now known as the Dexter Dollar on the front cover; the unique leather-bound 1941 Dunham catalog, obtained from the Brent Pogue collection, with the nameof Charles M. Williams embossed on the front cover, who was the purchaser of theDexter Dollar from the Dunham sale, the catalog has large photographs bound in of theDexter Dollar, the 1822 $5, and the "exceedingly rare" 1855 Kellogg & Co. Proof $50gold coin; other outstanding highlights are two copies of the 1832 Urosius Andreitsjournal containing a line drawing of an 1804-dated U.S. silver dollar, I obtained one copyfrom the Eric Newman collection, the other from a rare book dealer in Germany. These journals from 1832 are important because silver dollars that ended up bearing the 1804date were first ordered by President Andrew Jackson in 1834.

Most notable, for researchers and students of 1804 dollars and early American coins,are copies of more than 100 letters and documents pertaining to the history of theDexter Dollar that will be displayed in a desktop catalog-style organizer so that peoplecan page through them. Nearly all the originals are property of libraries and museums,so copies are all that are available for public exhibition. These documents will be inchronological date order so that researchers and students can easily find specific areasof interest. They have never been previously exhibited as a collection. These letters anddocuments are chronicled in my book, The Dollar of 1804 - The U.S. Mint's HiddenSecret...as revealed by the true story of the "Dexter Dollar," The King of AmericanCoins.

The collection will be exhibited in two parts. The first part will tell the story of the DexterDollar. The second part will tell the story of The Dollar of 1804. Highlights of the secondpart include a copy of the original 1834 Presidential Directive ordering the striking ofpresentation proof sets of 1834. I obtained it many years ago directly from the NationalArchives in Philadelphia. It was exciting for me to actually hold that legendary, original,fragile document in my hands!

Other items on exhibit will include original copies of Numismatic News from 1962 whenBritish dealer David Spink announced the existence of the King of Siam Proof Set.Bringing that set to light and tying it to the Presidential Directive referenced aboverevealed the exact reason proof silver dollars bearing the 1804 date were coined. Ofcourse, my unique works of art commissioned by James Vila Dexter himself, circa 1887,will also be on display at the convention.

The ANA will have the Idler 1804 dollar on display, formerly owned by H.O. Granberg,Chairman and President of the ANA between 1911 and 1915, who was from myhometown, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. I purchased his home, later donating his personalsafe, where the Idler Dollar would have been stored, to the ANA where it rests in theANA museum near the coin. Granberg's family was the source of the original 1887James V. Dexter works of art commemorating his 1804 silver dollar. The red displaycase containing the 1804 dollar in the work of art will be displayed. Limited edition printsof Dexter's artwork will be available for purchase at the convention.

I'll be at the convention all week and will welcome requests for personal small-grouptours through the collection. I am in the process of working with the ANA in building theexhibit. Hopefully we'll be able to add some important 1804 dollar surprises to theWorld's Fair of Money.

To visit Mark's website, see:
https://1804dollar.com/