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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
 United States
12251 Posts |
The Act that authorized the World's Columbian Exposition Half Dollar included the following provision: "SEC. 4. That it is hereby declared that all appropriations herein made for, or pertaining to, the World's Columbian Exposition are made upon the condition that the said Exposition shall not be opened to the public on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday; and if said appropriations be accepted by the corporation of the State of Illinois, known as the World's Columbian Exposition, upon that condition, it shall be, and it is hereby, made the duty of the World's Columbian Commission, created by the Act of Congress of April twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety, to make such rules or modifications of the rules of said corporation as shall require the closing of the Exposition on the said first day of the week commonly called Sunday." So, while the US Constitution/Bill of Rights establishes a separation of church and state - "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." - Congress had clearly yielded to religious pressures when making it Exposition appropriation. For its part, the World's Columbian Exposition company, accepted the terms by accepting the souvenir coins. At the same time, the Company understood the economic value of keeping the Exposition open seven days a week. World's Columbian Exposition - Administration Building (Image Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public Domain.)Per Congress' guidelines, the Exposition was initially closed on Sunday. When potential Fairgoers showed up at the Exposition gates on the first Sunday following the Exposition's opening and found the gates to be locked and the Exposition closed, things turned ugly. It did not go over well with many of those who planned on attending the Exposition and so tempers flared and property destruction ensued; the damage to property extended beyond that of the Exposition gates, etc. to local, private property in the area. Subsequently, the Exposition Company, in defiance to the US Government, opened the Exposition on Sundays. It wanted to make the Exposition available to the largest number of people - many worked six days a week at the time, and Sunday was their only day off. As a result, the Exposition Company and the US Government soon found themselves in Court in an attempt to adjudicate the matter. A central issue was the fact that, technically, the Federal Government had no jurisdiction over the Exposition - it was operating under the laws of the State of Illinois - and the Government's attempts at enforcing the closing of the Exposition on Sunday were therefore challenged. Having the Exposition open on Sunday was not an issue for Chicago or Illinois. A contemporary article in the Baltimore Sun called the controversy an "embarrassment" and expressed doubts as to whether a binding decision could be made by the courts while the Exposition was still open. The Court quickly realized the same, and, as such, issued no final ruling at the time. As a result, the Exposition was allowed to continue opening on Sunday by default. The US Government responded by closing its exhibits on Sunday - its actions were supported by Great Britain and France who also closed all or some of their exhibits. The exhibit closures negatively impacted Sunday attendance at the Exposition. Did the battle impact coin sales? (i.e., Did Fairgoers boycott the coins in response to the Government's policy?) IMO, any impact that it might have had was small, I think selling the coins at twice thei face value presented more of an issue at the time. 1892 World's Columbian Exposition Half Dollar  For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including more on the Columbian half dollart, see: Commems Collection. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
Edited by commems
04/10/2023 09:56 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Never heard about that before! Thanks.
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Moderator
United States
15384 Posts |
Very interesting twist. Same as @frog - this is the first I've heard of the Sunday controversy so I appreciate @commems bringing to us. I lived through a Sunday commercial activity prohibition when I first moved to Texas in 1982 following college graduation. Texas at the time has what were known as 'Blue Laws' that prohibited nearly all commercial activity on Sundays. I recall you could not attend a movie theater or buy clothing or office supplies or practically another other form of retail sales. I do believe gas stations and grocery stores were open however. Better stock up on you beer on Saturdays!  Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.artEdited by nickelsearcher
04/10/2023 10:06 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Excellent Read Commems,  Your comments here are News to me too. It was a Grand Event for the World to see...I wonder If people all have Blue Laws Today, How we would Function..... Only Gas Stations and Drug Stores and Delicatessens were open on Sundays. Those days were Grand, 1950's and 1960's as a Kid...... Nothing was done, Business wise. Collecting Big soda bottles for a Nickel, Most Parents worked many jobs, Everyone and Everything, seemed More Relaxed, More Faith was apparent to me. But We All Rested on Sunday..... This 1892-3 topic is an Awesome one for me, in that I have an Original Artifact from The Fair, ( it has a name, I can not recall ),  . It is Actually made for the Fair at A Mint . I believe. What is the Outer Mold used to make a coins design Called, Leaving the intended designs on the Inner core of plaster, I believe...? a Copper Outer core used to make the Exhibitions Medals and Commemorative Coins that were made. An Old Original Piece, tucked under Glass to keep........  An Awesome, Not Found Everyday Item..... This topic reminded me of it !!! Thanks, Mike.. This New system Below is NOT what I am talking about, I am talking about the Old ways the Mint's would make coin designs.. . "The Mint gathers designs for consideration from the Mint medallic artists, Artistic Infusion Program designers, or, when law allows, public design competitions. I am talking about 1892 Design Steps to make a ? Edited by Morgans Dad
04/10/2023 10:40 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2365 Posts |
I had not heard this story but, I'm not surprised. When I was growing up very little was open on Sundays. No Malls or stores were open - nothing except what Morgans dad said. It was considered a day of rest and family time. Yes, religion was a factor. It wasn't just in Illinois.
Those were the days!!!
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Moderator
United States
187544 Posts |
Very interesting!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1227 Posts |
Love that bit of information (commems)well done. Although I'm not quite as old as some here but close wish that we could go back to times when things seemed to be a little simpler
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
 United States
12251 Posts |
I'm glad to see I shed some light on a new commemorative topic for folks. My only CCF mission is to educate!
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Commems, I wanted to Thank You for The Topic. I mentioned Above in my reply, I have a GALVANO. The name I forgot. I wanted to Reply with the Right terminology. I forge t the Names.I found a Topic in My , A Comprenhensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan & Peace dollars , 4th Edition. Listed under a Title of : Design Reduction, It helped me recall the Procedures, " The preparation of the designs in enlarged size allowed the sculptor to more easily develop the designs and resulted in greater design sharpness when it was later reduced to the Actual coin size. This reduction in design size was accomplished using a portrait lathe from the mid-1830's to 1867 when a Hill reducing lathe was acquired from Great Britain and used until 1907. A point traced the GALVANO surface in concentric circles. THIS " COPPER SHELL " GALVANO was necessary since the tracer point would have dug into and scratched the Plaster of Paris Models. ". THIS Copper GALVANO I have, at least ONE of them...... It's about 3-4" around in Copper.... Your TOPIC reminded me of this Treasure,,,, Not found Easily Either Maybe a One Of A Kind. I have Never found out how Many dies were made for the 1892-93 Exposition, That would help....... Sorry I was away and Did not recall the proper Nomenclature... Mike PS, A Very Unique Collectible, For Me.... ..... Not saying this design was made Exactly the way described, But in the OLD Days, The process was the State of the Art, for the day, that's how it was made.... Now A Days by an Artistic Infusion Program that When the Coins or Medals Aare seen, The Designer's First Initial is Present and their Entire Last name spelt out on the Coins, Ont the Obverse and the Revers,,, The Classics had Hard to notice or they blended Easier and Smaller.... Sad how certain things change, Not Necessarily for the Good.. Edited by Morgans Dad
04/11/2023 8:05 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Debbie,
Well Said, " Those were the days!!! ", My Friend...
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
United States
12251 Posts |
@morgans_dad: Can you post some images? It sounds like you have an interesting piece!
Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Commens, Trust Me, It is Sweet. I do Not post my collection pictures, Anymore, Sorry.. It's a Full Two Sided GALVANO in Pure Copper. Quite the Piece.... I did HERE about 15 Years ago and received the Helpful Answers I needed to Pin Point the Exact Date, Exact Exposition The GALVANO was Made for. It Was kept under Glass since Before I I saw it, etc, ... Would not take it out of the case, Fragile and in nice condition Too, Pinned, Lying in a Cotton Bed, Under Glass....... . Having a Friend in a B&M has its Privileges, Having the Owner of said B&M being One Key Player in Many Many Transactions, Some Mouth Watering Examples I have SEEN and Heard of, Those Times are Gone, Once in a Lifetime Artworks, Coins, Etc..... Hidden away with Numerous Examples of American Currency and Coinage........ I am Fortunate to have Some of the Items I do. YOU probably answered some of those Questions, Back Then, Thanks for Asking, Mike. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
COMMEMS, Since My last post on This Topic, I have been contacted by some members with the EXACT pictures You desire. I HOPE they post Them Here, .. It's Not Every Day One of these comes to Bear... Maybe THEY will Post up what they found, Thanks Fellow Collectors, Thanks for All You Do.... PS, The GALVANO is BRONZE, I previously stated it was Pure Copper, WRONG !! It's a Mutt....Copper+ Brass= Bronze.....  I am told the Mint produced this, FIRST COMMEMORATIVE for America, with MANY Dies, How many IDK. I do Know the piece is a Very Unique Numismatic Artifact from, Days gone Bye.... I Knew Then, ( 20+ ) years ago,  WOW.... ps, Commems, ( I also realized, I joined this Group in 2008, You, a Tad later, so I do Not believe You were Around Here Then, Maybe wrong.....). Thanks for All You Do.... Mike.Thanks All... Edited by Morgans Dad
04/13/2023 6:26 pm
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CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives
United States
12251 Posts |
Quote:
I am told the Mint produced this, FIRST COMMEMORATIVE for America, with MANY Dies, How many IDK. Regarding dies for the Columbian Exposition Half Dollar, my understanding is that the Mint produced 63 dies for the Columbian Half Dollar coinage; the dies were made from two hubs (one obverse, one reverse). The records don't specify the die split between obverse and reverse, but if we assume a roughly 50/50 split, we come up with approximately 31 obverse/reverse die pairings. With roughly five million coins struck, it can be estimated that an average die pair was used to strike approximately 161,000 coins. Of course, such a number can vary greatly based on individual die failure or extended usefulness. It's also very possible that some number of dies were not actively used to produce coins, just held in reserve to fill a potential need if it arose. Many TBD variables at this point, but we can at least "ballpark" production estimates. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Thanks Commems, I Appreciate the Info Too. If I May, Collectors/Members, I am Asking , the following questions, Please Share Thoughts, ..... Would You consider a HUB to be a Museum Piece, Ever Seen One ? ( where ) Would You expect to See a Galvano, Out in the Wild, Have You ?  Would You expect to see a HUB or GALVANO, which Was used to Make the Hub's, Out in the " Wild "?.... Commems, I am Researching the Name on Your Beautiful Medal, Could you Help direct My attention to " The Triumphal Arch Designs ", I am searching for Those Drawings.......... Could You Help Me, Thanks.  Commems, You Stated, "My understanding is that Alonso was awarded his medal based on the quality of the four drawings he submitted for a Triumphal Arch design." I will get THIS all together, I Appreciate Any And ALL Information on the Four Drawings COMMEMS has Mentioned Earlier. Why would a Design Artist receive THIS Medal? Those Drawings are the Focus of my Research. I wondered IF a person wanted to SEE posts from years Ago, Will it be Available, I am Not To computer Savy... Mike.. I am setting the stage for Discussions to be Clearer on this Topic, Mike... Maybe seen in a Numismatic Historical Settings I Have Not, But..... History is Crucial to the Future, With out it, We are only set to Wonder.... |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5601 Posts |
Commems,
I wanted to Update You and Members, I have found in the History of the CCF, there were My Posted Pictures of My Galvano. I have Not been able to Get out to the Vaults to secure the Pieces. I thought what about My Original Posted 2011 Posts, Low and Behold, Jbuck Comes through Again, Thanks Jbuck!!!
He guided me to the History of Posted topics, and There it was, The Original Topic, I thought I posted in the Commemorative Forum, Wrong, I posted the Old Posts in the "Tokens, Medals, Challenge Coins, and other Exonumia " forum.
Today I was able to retrieve the Posts, Please check the Posts out. I asked the same Moderator to MOVE the Entire Thread to HERE.... Thanks All for the Help, @ Commems, A personal Thank You for All You Did, Do, Mike MD.
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Replies: 20 / Views: 1,965 |
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Posted 04/10/2023 10:04 am
