Sunday, July 06, 2014

The Value Of This Place Continues To Increase

If you're heading across the country on Interstate 90, and you happen to make it into the state of Montana, you'll want to stop at Lincoln's $50,000 World Famous Silver Dollar Bar, nestled in the beautiful Lolo National Forest.  
The bar was started in 1952 by Gerry and Marie Lincoln and has been family owned and operated since then.  The facility consists of a bar, restaurant, motel, gas station, and gift shop.  Inside, you'll see why they began by calling it the $10,000 Silver Dollar Bar, but have upped it to $50,000.

The silver dollar tradition started when someone got the idea to embed one into the top of the bar.  The silver dollars in the bar top are covered with a thick polyurethane coating.
It's been said that over 2,500 silver dollars are added each year.  When we were there in 2011, the "Today's Total" board read 58,390 silver dollars.
The bar has been full of coins for years, so in order to accommodate tourists and yearly donations, they started displaying them on the walls.
Each of the silver dollars display the name, and sometimes the location, of the people who donated them.  The ones on the walls are embedded in wood first, dated, and then the panels are numbered and nailed to the wall.
In addition to the unbelievable display of silver dollars in the bar, is the unbelievable display of kitsch in the gift shop.  They have the most unusual collection of...well, one internet reviewer said, "This place is completely loaded with crap. 30% Flea Market, 25% Grandma's Basement, 45% who knows what, but 100% manufactured in China."

He's 100% right.  But it's so much fun to sift through.  There's so much stuff, I can't imagine not coming away with at something.  Beaded Native American-style necklaces, bracelets, and eyeglass "leashes", anyone?  

Silver bracelets - real and costume.  The amount of faux bling in this place is fantastic.
 Plagued with joint pain?  Copper jewelry abounds.
We didn't patronize the bar or restaurant, so I can't speak to the quality of either, but this place is definitely worth a stop.

You can't miss it.  The billboards will lead you right to its treasures.



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2013: Bursts Of Light And A Bean

2012: Cool As A Cucumber
2011: I Think We Have A Winner
2010: Progressively Yours,
2009: Spill It
2008: I’ve NEVER Colored Inside The Lines. Why The Surprise?
2007: I Didn’t Make It, But I Ate It
2006: Sorry, no post for this day.
2005: Slim Or None! I’ll Take None.

2 comments:

DLG said...

WOW! I have a modest collection of silver dollars. I would be willing to bet some of those are worth a fortune. Wonder what they will do with them one day?

Gil said...

I would like to know how much they are insured for. It doesn't really look like a safe enough place to display all of that silver in the open.