A few Ulysses S Grant coinage tidbits from the 'Commems Files'...Tidbit #1At the same time that Senator Frank Bartlett Willis (R-OH) introduced his bill proposing the 1922 Grant Centenary coinage, he also introduced a bill to secure the donation of the iron gates located at a West side entrance of the White House in Washington, DC (they were planned for removal), to the Rutherford B. Hayes Memorial Museum in Fremont, Ohio. It was part of an effort to perpetuate the memory of two (of seven) Ohio-born United States ("US") Presidents - Ulysses S Grant (born in Point Pleasant. Ohio) and Rutherford B. Hayes (born in Delaware, Ohio).
The gate measure was passed in the Senate, but held up in the House of Representatives ("House"); it was eventually approved years later (1928).
Tidbit #2Folks who purchased round-trip tickets ($1.50) to travel from Cincinnati to Point Pleasant (and back) via one of two designated Ohio River steamboats (the
East St. Louis or the
Homer Smith) to attend the Centenary celebrations on April 27, 1922 received one of the Association's commemorative medallions that features "a reproduction of the Grant memorial coin." (IMO, it's similar, but not a true reproduction.)
1922 Ulysses S Grant Commemorative Medallion
To read more about the Grant medallion, see:
1922 Grant Memorial - Cousin #2.
Tidbit #3In February 1922, multiple outlets ran a press release that stated that "$260,000 worth of gold dollars and silver half dollars" for the Grant Centenary coinage were to be struck. It was a bit unusual, however, as the authorized mintage of each coin was not specified in the release.
The enacting legislation authorized 10,000 Gold Dollars and 250,000 Silver Half Dollars. If we do the math, these parameters equate to $135,000 worth of coins - it appears the author(s) of the release forgot to divide the half dollar mintage by two to derive the correct face value of the coins.
Tidbit #4During the time
Laura Gardin Fraser was sculpting the models for the Grant coinage, she was also working on a bust for the New York University Hall of Great Americans. Her bust of enshrinee Gilbert Stuart - the noted American portrait artist of the 18th Century - was unveiled as part of ceremonies on May 20, 1922.
Stuart is remembered for his portraits of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Horatio Gates, John Jay and others. Stuart's unfinished portrait of Washington ("Athenaeum" portrait) is the basis (in mirror image) for Washington's portrait on the US One- Dollar note.
1922 Ulysses S Grant Centenary Half Dollar - Star Variety
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more "Historical Tidbits" stories, see:
Commems Collection 
Posted 05/16/2026 10:21 pm
Uncirculated American Silver Eagles 
