Fair Warning .... Long fact-filled joyful thread coming up!
It took a lot of searching before I finally found this lovely coin to fill the Alabama slot in my 50-coin US Silver type set.
Thrilled to share my 1921 Alabama 2x2 ... housed in a PCGS MS65 holder and CAC approved.
The coin is amazing in hand. One unfortunate spot of toning on the obverse which is visible in my photo ... but the original satin luster and fine strike are a joy to view as I twirl the coin about in the light.
Some (hopefully) interesting tidbits about the coin ...
Designed by the grande damme
Laura Gardin Fraser ... wife of James Earl Fraser ... James was the designer of many classic
US coins including the
Buffalo nickel. You can easily see her (LGF) initials on the reverse at 3:00 tight against the rim.
This coin has the distinction of being the first example of a USA coin showing the portrait of a living person ... in this case then-current Alabama Governor T.E. Kilby.
This 2x2 variety (symbolic of Alabama being the 22nd State to enter the Union) was struck in October 1921 ... just three months post the July 1921 striking of the Missouri 2x4 half. Both issues were the first of many upcoming coins in the series intended to extract more $$ from the collectors of the day.
It has been reported that the 2x2 Alabama was actually produced at the recommendation of husband James Earl Fraser ... who recognized the effective sales gimmick of the earlier Missouri half .... and who as a member at the time of the Commission of Fine Arts and held tremendous political influence over the design/approval of
US coinage.
Once 2x2 striking was complete, the incuse (on the coin)2x2 legend was simply ground/polished off the master hub and coinage proceeded with the 'plain' variety.
Authorized in 1920 and struck in 1921 to commemorate an event that occurred in 1919 ... this coin contains a confusing array of three dates. I'm still confused 90 years later.
Interesting fact is that the 'x' in the 2x2 legend is actually the St. Andrews Cross ... taken from the Alabama State flag ... the design of which inspired the Confederate Flag.
This issue was mostly sold to Alabama residents and few survived in MS ... and even fewer have been honestly graded by the
TPG IMHO. My PCGS-CAC example is the best MS65 I have ever seen ... and it took a lot of searching to come across this one.
Net mintage of the 1921 Alabama was 65,044 coins ... history has lost the distribution between 2x2 and plain ... so most references list them as nearly equal and the market today values them the same.
B. Max Mehl offered some insight into the Alabama 2x2 in his 1937 pamphlet "
The Commemorative Coins of the United States" ... of which I have an original version ... I quote below from his 1937 work ...
"
If you just want to know when Alabama was accepted into the union you just buy one coin, but if you want to know the numerical order in which it was received, in other words if you want an Alabama half with 2x2 on it, it was necessary to buy another coin at its issue price at the time of only $1.00. But now, brother, (1937) the same coin costs you $17.50, and I dare say that even this price will seem mighty low in the very near future."
I agree with that assessment of future pricing.
Many of you realize that I am also searching for the complementary circulated versions of my MS classic set ... so here is my F15 (my grade) 1921 Alabama 'plain' ... honest wear on original surfaces. A fun comparison to the MS coin show above.
Having great fun searching for, learning about, and sharing the wonderful coins and history in the Classic US silver commemorative set.
Two coins to go to complete my 50-coin type set in MS.
Appreciate any comments and will reply to any questions.
David
Posted 07/25/2011 11:34 pm
). The only thing he's remembered for today is Kilby Correctional Facility
. Come to think of it, there's also a Bibb Correctional Facility in Alabama
.
