This post represents the 14th thread of my occasional comparisons between the MS and circulated coins in my classic silver commemorative set.
Committed enthusiasts can find the other 13 comparison threads through the CCF search functions.
Topic for today is the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar ... commonly referred to today as the "Lincoln Half".
Minted in 1918 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Illinois admission to the union ... this early (relatively speaking) classic silver commemorative established the precedent for numerous other State and local anniversaries to be memorialized on coins in the classic series.
Recall that when the legislation authorizing the Illinois half dollar passed in June 1918 there were only a total of four silver commemorative type already issued ... Columbian Expo (2 years),
Isabella Quarter, Lafayette dollar and the Panama-Pacific half.
There were also at this time eight gold commemorative in existence ... so if you put yourself into the shoes of the collector in 1918 you might have wondered what was up with this new silver commemorative honoring an individual State for the first time.
To the coin ...
The obverse was designed by George Morgan ... who had in 1917 assumed the duties of chief engraver at the US Mint following the death of
Charles Barber. Coin folks do not need an introduction from me to describe the USA coinage contributions from George Morgan.
The reverse was designed by
John Sinnock ...who was early in his career as a 29 year old at the time ... and who later served a Chief Engraver of the US Mint from 1925 through 1947.
Sinnock is know today as the designer of the
Franklin half and
Roosevelt dime ... so go ahead and pull that
Roosevelt dime from your pocket and observe the 5:30pm obverse truncation of the bust ... there you will find JS ... same (older) designer of the Illinois half dollar reverse.
100,058 Illinois half were minted ... and for the first time in the classic silver series all were distributed.
Today the coin remains a collector favorite due to what many perceive as the strength of the coins design ... Morgan's image of a young (beardless) Lincoln and Sinnock tremendous eagle ... coupled with their 'bead and balls' approach to denticles gives this coin a classic appearance that will always be enjoyed.
The coin is readily available in the marketplace ... but true gems and low-ball examples are very difficult to come by.
I'm pursuing both sets ... MS and honestly circulated ..
For your comparison here are some photos ...
1918 Illinois ... PCGS MS66+/CAC
That was a tough coin form me to eventually find ... but no less difficult in terms of market availability than my circ example ....
1918 Illinois PCGS G06 ...
Enjoying very much this pursuit ... and the history behind the coins is what makes it all work for me.
Enjoy
David
Posted 11/03/2012 7:55 pm
