The Daniel Boone Bicentennial Commission was created by a resolution of the 1934 General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Daniel Boone's birth.
(Fun Fact: Kentucky is one of four US states whose official name features the designation "Commonwealth" - the others are Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia.) Following is the full text of the Resolution:
In 1936, the Commission reported back to the Kentucky General Assembly regarding its activities and programs of commemoration. Though the Commission referenced several fund-raising activities, including the sale of "Boone Bicentennial Buttons," "Boone Bicentennial Editions" of selected books and multiple "Bicentennial Balls," it is clear from the Report that the Commission was very proud of its successful efforts to secure a commemorative half-dollar for its historic celebration.
Within the Report was a picture of the final models for the Boone commemorative coin accompanied by a brief description of its obverse and reverse.
Also included in the Report was a discussion of the four most prominent reasons why the Commission believed the coin was among its "most notable achievements."
History tells us that the Commission's "fondness" for its coin (and, no doubt, the funds generated by its sale) could not be constrained by the calendar; the Commission continued to request new coins from the US Mint beyond the 1934 anniversary year. They were able to do so due to the fact that the authorizing legislation allowed for up to 600,000 coins to be struck but did not specify a timeframe in which the coins could be requested/struck/delivered. By the time the five-year program came to an end in 1938, more than 78,000 of the coins were distributed by the Commission. Though a far cry from the authorized maximum, the Boone's final total mintage was much more than many of its commemorative contemporaries.
For additional background on the two varieties of Boone Bicentennial half-dollars, check out my other posts here
http://goccf.com/t/117670 and here
http://goccf.com/t/117782.1934 Boone Bicentennial Half-Dollar - Obverse
1934 Boone Bicentennial Half-Dollar - Reverse
Posted 04/18/2013 5:10 pm
