The 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar was struck to help commemorate the 100th Anniversary if Missouri's Statehood - Missouri became the 24th State on August 10, 1821. Missouri celebrated its milestone anniversary with a Centennial Exposition in August 1921 that was included in the State's annual State Fair.
In a previous post (
1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial - Exposition And Fair) I stated:
There were some pre-Exposition reports that stated the coins would be given out as change at the entrance gates to the Exposition, but such reports do not appear to have been accurate. Giving them out at face value would have defeated the fundraising purposes of the coins.The July 21, 1921 edition of
The Weekly Democrat-News (Marshall, Missouri) was one such source:
"Only those persons who are here for the first week of the Centennial Exposition and State Fair August 8-20, will be fortunate enough to secure any of the Missouri Centennial half dollars which have just been coined. The 250,000 silver pieces will be paid out as change for admissions to the Centennial Fair, and the first 250,000 persons who pass through the gates and desire the coins will receive them. Since approximately a million admissions will be paid, the coin will be received only by the small percentage of persons through the gates during the first few days of the Exposition."
The
Kansas City Weekly Journal (Kansas City, Missouri) was another erroneous source. In its August 4, 1921 edition, it stated:
"No partiality will mark the distribution of coins. They will be given out to the first 250,000 persons who request them in change at the admission gates to the exposition."
The
Kansas City Weekly Journal statement appears to indicate that there will be a limit of one coin per person, based on the authorized maximum mintage of 250,000 coins.
While the Public Law that authorized the Missouri half dollar set the potential mintage at 250,000, just 50,000 coins (plus assay coins) were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in July 1921. The coins were not given out in change at the Centennial Exposition's gates, they were advertised and sold to collectors at a premium ($1.00 per coin). I imagine those who read of the "admission change" scenario were disappointed when they visited the Exposition.
Sales, however, never met expectations. Just over 20,000 were sold/distributed with approximately 30,000 coins returned to the Mint to be melted. So, ~8% of the authorized mintage of the Missouri Statehood Centennial half dollar was sold/distributed - definitely not the fundraiser the Missouri Centennial Exposition Committee anticipated.
1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar - Plain Variety
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Missouri half dollar stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 10/01/2025 08:05 am
