Commems Collection Classic: Quick Bits 103 - Here A Motto, There A Motto

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commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12251 Posts	Posted 08/04/2023 8:33 pm WARNING! - This bit isn't as "quick" as most others in the series! The mottoes "LIBERTY" - "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" are standard on today's US circulation coins and have been dating back to the introduction of the 1892 Liberty Head / "Barber" dime, quarter and half dollar designed by Charles Barber. The same can't be said for US commemorative coins, however. Early US commemorative coins typically lacked at least one of the mottoes, and all three on more than a handful of issues. First, let's have a look at the statistics: There are 50 Types of classic-era silver US commemorative coins (48 half dollars, 1 quarter dollar and 1 dollar) - some Types have varieties - and nine Types of classic gold US commemorative coins (6 dollars, 2 quarter eagles and 1 quintuple eagle) - as with the Silver coins, some gold Types have varieties. Thus, a total of 59 Types within the overall series. Note: For the purposes of this post, I am ignoring the circulating commemorative coins that many collectors - erroneously IMO - do not consider part of the series (e.g., 1909 Lincoln Cent, 1921 Peace dollar and 1932 Washington quarter). Here's a US commemorative coin breakdown by motto inclusion among the 59 Types: Types with E PLURIBUS UNUM: 40 (67.8%) Types with IN GOD WE TRUST: 49 (83.1%) Types with LIBERTY: 31 (52.5%) Types with NO Mottoes: 9 (15.3%) Types with ALL Mottoes: 29 (49.2%) Now, for the categorical listings: Coin Types WITHOUT ANY of the Mottoes - 9 in Total - 1892-93 World's Columbian Exposition - Columbus Half Dollar - 1893 World's Columbian Exposition - Isabella Quarter Dollar - 1900 Lafayette Memorial Dollar - 1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Gold Dollar - Jefferson - 1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition Gold Dollar - McKinley - 1904-05 Lewis & Clark Exposition Gold Dollar - 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition - Gold Dollar - 1916-17 William McKinley Gold Dollar - 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Coin Types with "E PLURIBUS UNUM" ONLY - 1 in Total - 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition - Gold Quarter Eagle Coin Types with "IN GOD WE TRUST" ONLY - 8 in Total - 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Half Dollar - 1920-21 Landing of the Pilgrims Tercentenary - 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial - 1923 Monroe Doctrine Enunciation Centennial - 1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary - 1925 Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial - 1925 Fort Vancouver Centennial - 1926-39 Oregon Trail Memorial Coins with "LIBERTY" ONLY - 0 in Total - None Coin Types with "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" ONLY - 10 in Total - 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition - Gold $50 (Round, Octagonal) - 1922 US Grant Birth Centenary - Gold Dollar (Plain, w/ Star) - 1922 US Grant Birth Centenary - Silver Half Dollar (Plain, w/ Star) - 1927 Battle of Bennington-Vermont Independence Sesquicentennial - 1928 Hawaii (European) Discovery Sesquicentennial - 1934 Maryland Tercentenary - 1934-38 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial - 1934-38 Texas Independence Centennial - 1935 City of Hudson Sesquicentennial - 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial Coin Types with "IN GOD WE TRUST" and "LIBERTY" ONLY - 2 in Total - 1935-36 California-Pacific International Exposition ("San Diego") - 1936 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Opening Coin Types with "E PLURIBUS UNUM" and "LIBERTY" ONLY - 0 in Total - None Coin Types with ALL THREE Mottoes - 29 Total - 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial - 1920 Maine Statehood Centennial - 1925 Stone Mountain Memorial - 1925 California Statehood 75th Anniversary - 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial - Gold Quarter Eagle - 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial - Silver Half Dollar - 1935 Connecticut Tercentenary - 1935 Old Spanish Trail - 1936 Albany, NY Charter 250th Anniversary - 1936 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Robinson - 1936 Bridgeport, CT Centennial - 1936 Cincinnati, OH Music Center - 1936 Cleveland, OH Centennial - 1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial - 1936 Delaware-New Sweden Tercentenary - 1936 Elgin, IL Centennial - 1936 Battle of Gettysburg 75th Anniversary - 1936 Long Island Tercentenary - 1936 Lynchburg, VA Sesquicentennial - 1936 Providence, RI Tercentenary - 1936 Wisconsin Territorial Centennial - 1936 York County, ME Tercentenary - 1937 Battle of Antietam 75th Anniversary - 1937 Norfolk, VA Bicentennial/Tricentennial - 1937 Roanoke Colony Memorial - 1938 New Rochelle. NY Centennial - 1946 Iowa Statehood Centennial - 1946-51 Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial - 1951-54 George Washington Carver-Booker T. Washington And now you have a quick reference guide to mottoes on classic-era US commemorative coins. For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, see: Commems Collection. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved. Edited by commems 08/05/2023 1:06 pm Report this Post to the Staff

HondoB Bedrock of the Community United States 24892 Posts	Posted 08/04/2023 8:47 pm commens, thank you for this meticulous breakdown of commemoratives by motto. I, for one, certainly appreciate the work you have put into compiling this list, as it was most definitely NOT an easy task. Your contributions to commemorative history and detail are invaluable, and an incredible resource for all of us who appreciate this branch of numismatics. On behalf of the entire Coin Community Family, I thank you for the incredible contributions you make to the the forum and the field in general. Once again, thank you, commems! Inordinately fascinated by bits of metal with strange markings and figures Report this Post to the Staff
Coinfrog Bedrock of the Community United States 94367 Posts	Posted 08/04/2023 8:49 pm Commems is definitely da man. Report this Post to the Staff
NumisEd Pillar of the Community United States 5177 Posts	Posted 08/04/2023 10:36 pm Interesting statistical analysis, commems. I have a fairly simple question: of what commemorative event exist multiple versions of coins? Report this Post to the Staff
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15386 Posts	Posted 08/05/2023 04:41 am Thank you @commems for addressing the question posed in a prior thread. This easy to read post required a significant amount of research and record keeping. I can only image a rather extensive excel workbook in progress! I fully concur with Hondo well stated sentiments of deep regard for your continued scholarship.Thank you for all that you do for all of us. Quote: I have a fairly simple question: of what commemorative event exist multiple versions of coins? My fairly simple answer is you can pick them off the listing above. Generally look for events commemorated with both silver and gold examples. See 1915 Panama-Pacific, 1922 Grant, 1926 American Sesquicentennial, etc. Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff
commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12251 Posts	Posted 08/05/2023 06:40 am Quote: I have a fairly simple question: of what commemorative event exist multiple versions of coins? In addition to what nickelsearcher indicated, other multi-coin events are indicated by Types with date ranges. For example, "1934-38 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial." These are coin Types issued with the same design, for the same event, in multiple years. Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved. Report this Post to the Staff
Morgans Dad Pillar of the Community United States 5601 Posts	Posted 08/05/2023 10:16 am Excellent Topic, I Too Appreciate ALL the effort put into Our Commemorative History. Are there, Any Commemoratives that Have Differing Dates, regardless of the Precious metal used, with a Differing Design altogether, Very Easy to reference Visual Library Facts, Thanks Again, Commems.... Edited by Morgans Dad 08/05/2023 10:23 am Report this Post to the Staff
commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12251 Posts	Posted 08/05/2023 1:01 pm Quote: Are there, Any Commemoratives that Have Differing Dates, regardless of the Precious metal used, with a Differing Design altogether I can think of one program that meets your criteria on a technicality. 1. The George Washington Carver - Booker T. Washington half dollar program (1951-54) came about via an amendment to the Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial half dollar program (1946-51). So, technically, the GWC-BTW half dollars represent a "Differing Design altogether" with "Differing Dates" to the original coin honoring Booker T. Washington. If minor dfferences, not counting date-of-strike changes, are allowed, then the options expand. 2. The entire 1934 issue, and the first 1935 release, of the Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial half dollar were issued with "Pioneer Year" alone on the reverse. The Boone Bicentennial Commission was planning a multi-year program but realized that their coins beyond the 1934 issues did/would not reflect Boone's birth year. So, they requested, and received, Congressional authorization for "1934" to be added to the reverse above "Pioneer Year" on subsequent 1935 issues and all coins struck in 1936, 1937 and 1938 to keep the Boone Birth Year identified. This meets your "Differing Dates" criteria as well as the "Differing Designs" criteria if you allow minor changes to qualify. 3. The Arkansas Centennial Commission sought additional designs for its half dollar - up to three. Congress granted them one additional design. The Commission created the 1936 Senator Joseph T. Robinson design to supplement its Lady Liberty-Native American Chief design that was issued from 1935 through 1939. The "Robinson" was a one-year Type with a different design vs. what was issued by the program in other years. Note: I have not included the 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial half dollar with its Plain and 2X2 varieties, the 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial half dollar with its Plain and 24 varieties or the 1922 Grant Birth Centenary coins with their Plain and w/ Star varieties. I didn't believe them to meet the original criteria of the question as they are minor design changes issued in a single year. For a discussion of the GWC-BTW amendment, see: - 1951-54 George Washington Carver-Booker T Washington - G W C National Monument For a discussion of the Daniel Boone half dollar, see: - 1934-38 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial - The 1935 Issues For a discussion of the Arkansas design change request, see: - 1935-39 Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Three Designs Proposal Collecting history one coin or medal at a time!* (c) commems. All rights reserved. Report this Post to the Staff
commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12251 Posts	Posted 08/05/2023 1:04 pm Quote: I can only image a rather extensive excel workbook in progress! Spreadsheets are our friends! Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187564 Posts	Posted 08/07/2023 11:46 am Fascinating analysis! Quote: Spreadsheets are our friends! My entire life would be an epic failure without them! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
NumisEd Pillar of the Community United States 5177 Posts	Posted 08/07/2023 12:29 pm Another question: why were halves so popular for commemorative coins? Especially considering the fact that most (circulating) commemorative coins today are mostly quarters or dollar-sized (bullion) coins. Edited by NumisEd 08/07/2023 12:31 pm Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187564 Posts	Posted 08/07/2023 2:39 pm I believe half dollars were utilized more then than they are now. Now that they quarter is the workhorse coin, it has taken on the job. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
psuman08 Pillar of the Community United States 1751 Posts	Posted 08/08/2023 11:36 am Very interesting. I never realized that they all did not have mottos we take for granted are on every coin. Report this Post to the Staff
NumisEd Pillar of the Community United States 5177 Posts	Posted 08/08/2023 12:13 pm Quote: I believe half dollars were utilized more then than they are now. Don't forget we are talking about commemoratives. These are not much of a workhorse. Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 187564 Posts	Posted 08/08/2023 2:05 pm Quote: Don't forget we are talking about commemoratives. These are not much of a workhorse. True, but they did end up in circulation. Most people probably accepted them without question, same as the quarters today. Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
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