1904 Louisiana Purchase Expo Token

[Russellhome]

I've had this 1904 Louisiana Purchase token (aka 'so-called Dollar’) for quite some time. I've always thought it an interesting piece -- having dual busts of Jefferson - an esteemed U.S. president and Napoleon Bonaparte on the obverse. Wasn't Jefferson tall and Napoleon short? You wouldn't know it by the image on the token.



The reverse almosts boasts of the deal we got on this sale. $15 per square mile! I guess that is worth celebrating.



And of course, as a DV nut now - I look at everything a little more closely than I used to.



The rim has some nice die chips. There is a strike thru on the "A" of Purchase. And there is an identical funny notch in the vertical bar of the two "E" letters on the obverse. Were these letters punched with a damaged punch? The letter E on the reverse is the same font - but is smaller and has no funny notch.



There is a nice die crack starting faintly at the rim and extending down the Cascade range in what became the Pacific Northwest.



And finally, there appears to be repunching in the 9 of the date and there is a funny bump at the right-tip of the 4. Things like this are something to get excited about on a real coin. It is just 'fun-stuff' on a token.