I previously posted about Director of the US Mint Henry Richard Linderman and his 1875 proprosal for a "Centennial Dollar." You can read it here:
What If? 1876 Centennial Dollar. This time out, I'll explore a coin proposal introduced in the US Congress that would have created a pair of US Centennial commemorative coins.
In April 1876, William James O'Brien (D-MD) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that called for the minting of a silver dollar and a silver half dollar to mark the US Centennial. The dollar coin was to weigh 25 grams, with the half dollar being struck to "proportionate" specifications. The specified weight was unusual, as the US Silver Dollar at the time - the Seated Liberty Dollar - weighed 26.73 grams. The Silver Dollar's weight appears to have been "reverse engineered" from the weight of the Half Dollar, as it had a weight of 12.5 grams in 1876.
The designs and inscriptions were to "be the same as those prescribed by law for the gold and silver coins of the United States," but were also to feature Dana Bickford's system of international coinage, and allow the words 'First Centennial of American Independence.'" Such specifications would likely have led to the use of
Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty design on the obverse of the coins. Gobrecht was the US Mint's third Chief Engraver.
(Note: Gobrecht served in the position from December 1840 until his death in July 1844.)Dana Bickford was a private citizen/businessman of New York City. While traveling in Europe in 1873, he became frustrated by the myriad of currencies used across the various countries and the difficulties in proper conversions via currency exchange rates. This led to him developing a coin concept that included the proper conversions for major European currencies on the coin itself. He presented his idea to US Mint Director Linderman who liked the idea and had patterns made. Ultimately, with political and logistical issues arguing against it, the concept was not adopted and a limited number of pattern coins were the extent of its mintage.
Representative O'Reiley's bill appears to have been an attempt to revive Bickford's idea - if even just for a short time.
1874 Dana Bicford Pattern $10
1876 Seated Liberty Half Dollar
(Images Credit: PCGS CoinFacts.)The coins were not described as "souvenir coins" or "commemorative coins" as later US commemorative coins would be, they were simply referred to as "Centennial coins."
The bill did not specify an exact mintage figure for either coin, but did indicate that their coinage authorization expired on December 31, 1876. Language in the bill does indicate that millions of coins were anticipated.
The bill was referred to the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures (temporarily referred to the House Committee of Ways and Means due to a clerical mistake). The Coinage Committee reported the bill adversely, which resulted in it being Laid on the Table with no further action taken on it.
And so, souvenir hunters and coin collectors would have to wait until 1926 for coins marking a milestone anniversary of US independence! Too bad!
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other What If? stories, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 05/12/2025 2:03 pm
