Commems Collection Classic: 1922 Grant Memorial - Grant "With Star" Origins

I recently posted about the 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and the 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and the special mark that each featured on its obverse field. (Alabama: 2X2, Missouri 2*4). You can read the details here: Quick Bits 124 - Second Variety Connection.

Following on the heels of these issues was the 1922 Grant Centenary coin program - its coins marked the 100th Anniversary of Ulysses S. Grant's birth. As collectors did not raise an issue with the created varieties of the Alabama and Missouri programs (at least not in the pages of the American Numismatic Association's The Numismatist magazine), the Grant Memorial Association decided it would be OK to try something similar. Its preferences? A limited run of coins with an added "Star" on the obverse.

The standard commemorative coin references suggest the Association was interested in the added Star only for its gold coins - not its silver half dollar coins.

The Star to be added did not have the same historical relevance as the "Statehood" marks on the Alabama Half Dollar (2X2) or the Missouri Half Dollar (2*4), the Star was to be added for economic/fundraising reasons - the Association planned to charge more for the "Star" variety vs the "Plain" coins and thus raise more money for its cause.

The Association's Star request encountered a willing Treasury/Mint, and so preparations began. In a letter sent to the Director of the Mint (Raymond Thomas Baker) from the Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint (Freas Styer) on March 14, 1922, the Superintendent reviewed the quantities discussed during a telephone call between the two:

"Referring to telephone conversation had with you today, it is understood that the star will appear on

5000 Grant Memorial Half Dollars
5000 Grant Memorial Gold Dollars"

Note: Frank Edgar Scobey took the oath of office as Director of the US Mint on March 20, 1922.

The letter is interesting on at least two levels: 1) Multiple references state that the Association was surprised by the delivery of Half Dollars with a Star as they had only requested the mark for the Gold Dollar coins; and 2) the Mint was not in the habit of striking coins that were not requested.

The letter referenced above makes it clear that the "Star" Half Dollars were struck purposely by the Mint and not simply by mistake. Howland Wood, in his 1922 monograph The Commemorative Coinage of the United States, published by the American Numismatic Society, stated "The placing of the star on the half-dollar was not originally contemplated. It was brought about by a request for two varieties of half-dollars when the gold dollars were ordered." This indicates that the Mint decided to fulfill the Association's request for a second variety was filled via inclusion of a Star on a limited number of the coin's mintage.

Given this, it would seem (at least to me) that any "surprise" experienced by the Association when the Star half dollars were delivered was likely more in the vein, "Oh, so that's how the Mint filled our request for a second variety of half dollar." vs. "Why did we get these? We didn't ask for a second silver coin variety."

The Association began running ads for its coins in The Numismatist with the magazine's March 1922 issue (it continued with ads in the April through June issues). These initial advertisements for the coin program did not list a Half Dollar with Star as a purchase option, whereas it did include the Gold Dollar with Star variety. The Half Dollar with Star was not advertised until October 1922. At that point, the Association had been in possession of the Star Half Dollars for several months, so it is somewhat surprising it did not advertise their availability sooner. (For more on the 1922 Grant Centenary coins advertising, see:1922 Grant Memorial - Post-Shutdown Promotion.)

As noted above, the Grant Association looked to earn additional profits on its "Star" coins. The "Plain" Gold Dollar was sold at $3.00 per coin, the "with Star" variety was listed at $3,50. The "Plain" Silver Half Dollar was sold at $1.00, the "with Star" variety was advertised at $1.50.

1922 Grant Centenary Half Dollar, Star Variety



For more of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the Grant Centenary coins, see: Commems Collection.