A "Most Obscure" contender...In March 1937, John Kee (D-WV), a member of the prominent and powerful Kee family of Mercer County, WV, introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that called for half dollars "in commemoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the formation of the county of Mercer in the State of West Virginia."
Mercer County, WV is located in the southern part of the State, along the border with Virginia. It was carved from Giles County and Tazewll Counties (each located in Virginia south of the state line with West Virginia); the County was formed on March 17, 1837. It united with other northwest Virginia counties and became part of "West Virginia" when the counties separated from Virginia in 1861 after Virginia initiated its planned secession from the US at the start of the US Civil War. The County was named for Revolutionary War General Hugh Mercer. General Mercer was killed during the Battle of Princeton (New Jersey) in 1777; the Mercer county seat - Princeton - was named for the site of the of the General's final battle.
Mercer County's "claim to fame" is the very large deposit of "smokeless" Pocahontas No. 3 coal that lies beneath it. The Norfolk & Western Railway extended into Mercer County in 1883; it enabled commercial mining to begin in 1884 and fueled (no pun intended) the County's growth for decades. As it has in other areas, however, the local coal mining industry has declined.
The bill's language adhered to the then-recent provisions put forth by the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency. Namely, it called for up to 25,000 coins (no micro issue), the coins were to be struck only at a single Mint facility (no P/D/S sets), the coins were to bear the date "1937" regardless of when struck, a minimum of 5,000 coins had to ordered at a time and the coin's authority was set to expire one year after the bill was approved (no "never-ending" program).
The County Court of Mercer was the sponsor/beneficiary of the coin, and was the only entity that could place orders for it. The bill's language directed the Court to use the net proceeds from coin sales to defray expenses "incidental and appropriate to the commemoration of such event."
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures upon its introduction. It was never reported out or acted upon by the House. As no companion bill was introduced in the Senate, the House's inaction on the bill led to the proposed coin's demise.
While Mercer County, WV might be fine place to live (I wouldn't know as I've never been there), and coal mined there helped provide the fuel that helped the US grow, it, by itself, is hardly a singular focal point in US history. IMO, it is not surprising that Congress did not move this coin bill forward.
Absent of a legal tender coin, a Mercer County commemorative medal was produced in 1937. CCF'er TNG has posted images of the medal and provided a great description of its subject. Check it out here:
Pocahontas Coal / Mercer County Courthouse MedalFor other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 11/27/2022 1:51 pm
