Commems Collection Classic: 1903 Louisiana Purchases Exposition - Historical Tidbits

Here are a few tidbits/trivia notes about the 1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition ("LPE") Gold Dollars:

1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition - Jefferson Type


1903 Louisiana Purchase Exposition - McKinley Type


Tidbit #1
The 1903 LPE Gold Dollars made up the fourth United States ("US") commemorative coin program and were the first of its coins to be struck in gold. The preceding programs - 1892-93 World's Columbian Exposition Half Dollar, 1893 World's Columbian Exposition Quarter and 1900 Lafayette Memorial Dollar all were struck in a 90% Silver composition.

Some view the 1848 "CAL" Quarter Eagle to be the first US gold commemorative coin - the "CAL." coins resulted from the first deposit of California gold at the Philadelphia Mint along with a request for Quarter Eagles to be struck "with a distinguishing mark" - the mark turned out to be a "CAL." inscription added to the reverse of a batch of the requested coins (~1,400 were struck with "CAL.".)

For me, however, the 1848 Quarter Eagle was a regular-issue coin with a privy mark (i.e., "CAL.") vs. a true commemorative coin (as would come to be understood). Also, the 1848 coins were struck at a time before the US Congress formally authorized commemorative coins, and so, by definition, are in a different category.

Tidbit #2
The Act that authorized the LPE Gold Dollars did not specify that two designs were to be struck. The idea of striking two designs from the authorized mintage was conceived by Farran Zerbe and the LPE Company. They requested from the Treasury/Mint that two designs be struck, with the total mintage being split 50/50 between the designs.

Tidbit #3
The LPE Gold Dollars program is the only US classic-era commemorative program to be a true dual issue - i.e., two coins, same program/sponsor/Act, same year of issue, same size, same composition and same denomination, but with different designs. The 2006 Benjamin Franklin 300th Anniversary Silver Dollars would be an example of the same from the modern US series.

Note 1: The two coins for the 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial, 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial and 1922 U. S. Grant Birth Centenary programs (Half Dollar and Gold Dollar) all include varieties of the same design vs. being dual issues; same was the case for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition Gold $50 coins and 1935 and 1935/34 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial Half Dollar issues - they were varieties of same design

Note 2: While the Arkansas Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and Arkansas Statehood Centennial - Robinson Type Half Dollar were both struck in 1936 for the same sponsor, the "Robinson" coin was struck under a different authorizing Act and added to an active coin program.

Tidbit #4

The LPE Gold Dollars marked the second appearance of a US President on a US coin - two were honored simultaneously - Thomas Jefferson (3rd US President) and William McKinley (25th US President). (The first US President, under the US Constitution, George Washington, was the first to appear on a US coin via the 1900 Lafayette Memorial Silver Dollar.)

The LPE Gold Dollars pre-dated the 1909 Lincoln Cents by six years; Abraham Lincoln was the first US President to appear on a meant-for-circulation US coin.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more classic era Tidbits stories, see: Commems Collection