Bowers Merena

Bowers Merena Galleries (now Stack's Bowers) conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company's 80-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block. Many prominent world coin and currency collections have also been auctioned by the company.

The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California, with offices in New York, Tulsa, Wolfeboro, Hong Kong, and Paris. Stack's Bowers Galleries is an Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic conventions, including American Numismatic Association events, the New York International Numismatic Convention, and its April and August Hong Kong Auctions.

In 1983, Bowers Merena commissioned retired Chief Engraver Frank Gasparro to create a series of 1 Oz .999 pure silver medals of his own designs. As part of the series, he was asked to create one depicting himself. In 1985, that medal was issued. The obverse shows Frank Gasparro engraving the reverse that was used for the series. Dates for the series run from 1983 to 1995 and there are 21 known issues..  At least some of the rounds were given out to the employees of the company.  The rounds from this series are the only known silver rounds produced by Bowers Merena and are rarely seen.  They are made from 1 Oz. of .999 Fine Silver and are "proof-like".

Bowers Merena Issues

• 1983 - Virgil Brand
• 1984 - 1) Virgil Brand, 2) Auctions of 1983, 3) 1984 Olympics, 4) Ronald Reagan, 5) Walter Mondale
• 1985 - Frank Gasparro
• 1986 - 1) Abraham Lincoln, 2) Jefferson Davis
• 1987 - George Washington
• 1988 - 1) George Bush, 2) Michael Dukakis, 3) Harry Truman, 4) Theodore Roosevelt
• 1989 - George Washington
• 1990 - Liberty
• 1991 - Standing Liberty
• 1992 - 1) Standing Liberty, 2) Christopher Columbus
• 1993 - Liberty 40th Anniversary
• 1994 - Dwight D. Eisenhower
• 1995 - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Design

Obverse: The obverse for each of the rounds vary from year to year. Themes have included famous collectors, presidents, current events, and anniversaries. Finely engraved detailed images of the chosen subjects grace the obverse of the each round. The engravers initials of F.G. are found inscribed beside the central images. Textual inscriptions pertaining to the celebrated event or person can be found inscribed on the outer edges.

Reverse: The reverse of each of the Bowers Merena silver rounds features the winged Pegasus which is the logo for Bowers Merena. Above the central image of the Pegasus is inscribed "BOWERS AND MERENA GALLERIES, INC.". The date can be found inscribed immediately below the central image. The purity and content of "1 OZ .999 SILVER" is inscribed in two lines to the right of the image.