Commems Collection Classic: 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial - Historical Tidbits

Here are a few items about the 1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial commemorative coins.


Tidbit #1

A July 1926 news item run in the St. Louis Star and Times about the Sesquicentennial Half Dollar erroneously reported that the coin was to feature a portrait of George Washington on one side and Calvin Coolidge on the other.

It got the portrait subjects correct, just not their placement!

1926 American Independence Sesquicentennial Half Dollar



Tidbit #2

A note in the Raleigh, NC News and Observer[/] looked to stir up a bit of controversy regarding the design of the 1926 Sesquicentennial Half Dollar, by publishing an editorial remarking about the omission of Thomas Jefferson - the acknowledged primary author of the Declaration of Independence - within the coin's design. It stated:

"If it were not scandalous, it would be ridiculous to see the attempt made to ignore the greatest man whose name is associated with the avowed purpose of celebrating the Declaration."

The item was picked up by multiple other United States ("US") newspapers, but did not rise to the level of national outrage. More folks seem to have had been disturbed by the inclusion of then-current President Coolidge's portrait on the coin vs. the omission of Jefferson's.


Tidbit #3

The models for the Sesquicentennial half dollar were approved by Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon in April 1926. (The approval of the models for the Gold Quarter Eagle were still pending at the time.)

The Treasury noted that the coin's design was the first time the Government was to strike a coin featuring the portrait of a living US President.

Looking to proactively head off potential backlash over the design, Treasury officials also pointed out that "while the use of a portrait of a living person is prohibited on paper currency or stamps, there is no such prohibition with coins."


Tidbit #4

The Palace of United States Government, Machinery and Transportation featured a US Mint exhibit with an old, manually operated, screw press along with a then-modern electronic coin press. The more modern press was used to strike Official medals of the Sesquicentennial Exposition (not the coins); the Silver Half Dollar and Gold Quarter Eagle were struck at the Philadelphia Mint.

Official Medal of Sesquicentennial Exposition - Copper-Nickel



Tidbit #5

The Sesquicentennial Exposition Company kept the public aware of events at the Exposition through the placement of "event" advertisements in local papers (primarily the [i]The Philadelphia Inquirer). Here are a few of such advertisements/notices:






Total attendance at the Exposition was over 6 million, with about 4.5 million being paid attendees. This was well short of the projected 30 million attendees. The advertisements were not enough to overcome the Exposition's negative issues (e.g., incomplete construction of buildings and exhibits, poor (rainy) weather), and it is generally considered a financial failure.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other Tidbits and more about the 1926 Sesquicentennial coins, see: [b]Commems Collection