When in Western Montana, stop at “Lincoln’s 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar”

[WoodenJefferson]

I ran across this place by accident and thought I'd bring it to your attention. Me, I've never been in Western Montana.

 

The business had its start in 1951 when Rex Lincoln’s parents, Gerry and Marie Lincoln, built a small bar along old Highway 10, just west of Alberton, MT.

 

Back in those days Montana was home to the silver dollar. Lots of people were paid their weekly wages in "cartwheels." If you made a small purchase, you had to be careful about paying with a big bill, because you’d probably get your change in silver dollars. On October 1, 1952, Gerry cut a round hole in the top of the bar and pounded a silver dollar into it and inscribed his and Marie’s names beneath it.

 

Other people liked the idea and just a year later the collection of silver dollars had grown to over 2,000, and the Lincolns changed the name of their business from “Cherry Springs Bar” to “Lincoln’s 2,000 Silver Dollar Bar.” Since then the collection has continued to grow, and the business kept changing its name until it hit 10,000.

 

As for all those silver dollars that draw in travelers for a needed break, the big coins keep coming in at the rate of about 1,500 per year. The oldest and probably rarest coin in the collection is an 1876 Hong Kong trade dollar.

 

The Lincolns say, of the collection, 10,623 are real silver dollars, which does confirm the basic truth of the claim to 10,000 silver dollars. Since 1972, when silver prices escalated, people still bring in the dollars, but they’re Eisenhower dollars, a copper/nickel "sandwich" coin. Susan B. Anthony and Sacagawea dollar coins apparently aren’t welcome on these walls. In one image I pulled off the net, the count was 46,789 dollars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Present owners, Rex Lincoln & Sharyn Lincoln

 

 

 

 

[x2rider]

Wow that is some collection .

The coins are probably worth more then the bar . It must take a bit of time to mount them and then get them up for display .

 

Cheers

 

[bsshog40]

That is pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing!!

[MorganMan]

That is amazing

 

Definitely gonna be a stop when I go to see the Big Boobies Grand Tetons and Yellowstone.

 

MM

[tejas1836]

I stopped there with some friends back in November. It seemed incredible how many silver dollars they had.

[jtryka]

Very cool, puts the silver dollars in the counter at Wall Drug to shame!

[cpm9ball]

Yeah, it puts the Silver Queen in Virginia City, NV to shame, too! She is adorned with a mere 3,500 silver dollars. That's cool! Thanks for posting it Woody.

 

I wonder if Hoot ever visited there when he lived in Bozeman.

 

Chris

[WoodenJefferson]

Yeah, it puts the Silver Queen in Virginia City, NV to shame, too! She is adorned with a mere 3,500 silver dollars. That's cool! Thanks for posting it Woody.

 

I wonder if Hoot ever visited there when he lived in Bozeman.

 

 

 

Chris

 

There's a semi-famous person burried there in Bozeman also.

 

Find a grave

[cpm9ball]

Yeah, it puts the Silver Queen in Virginia City, NV to shame, too! She is adorned with a mere 3,500 silver dollars. That's cool! Thanks for posting it Woody.

 

I wonder if Hoot ever visited there when he lived in Bozeman.

 

 

 

Chris

 

There's a semi-famous person burried there in Bozeman also.

 

Find a grave

 

It would probably be more apt to call him semi-notorious since he conned the original claimholders out of a share of their discovery.

 

Chris

[Schatzy]

Awesome Bar!!

[Schatzy]

I bet the insurance is pretty costly when you have silver hanging on the walls.

 

Over 151k just in melt!!

[rrantique]

I bet the insurance is pretty costly when you have silver hanging on the walls.

 

Over 151k just in melt!!

 

Thanks for posting Woody.

[PerryHall]

Thanks for sharing. I wonder if anyone has checked them for any rare dates?

[TJ'S Coins]

I was there in September 1994 as we were moving to Washington State. A great place to visit.

[thehumantorch]

Very cool bar.