Half union facts for kids
| United states | |
| Value | 50 US Dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 83.58 g |
| Diameter | 50.80 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Composition | 90% Au 10% Cu |
| Years of minting | 1877 |
| Mint marks | None (half union patterns were minted at the Philadelphia Mint) |
| Obverse | |
_Obverse.jpg) |
|
| Design | Liberty |
| Designer | William Barber |
| Design date | 1877 |
| Reverse | |
_Reverse.jpg) |
|
| Design | Eagle |
| Designer | William Barber |
| Design date | 1877 |
The half union was a special U.S. "pattern" coin. A pattern coin is like a test coin. It has a face value of fifty U.S. Dollars. Many people think it's one of the most important and famous test coins in U.S. Mint history.
The main design shows Liberty on the front. This design was a bit like the $20 "Liberty Head" Double Eagle coin. That coin was designed by James B. Longacre. It was made from 1849 to 1907.
Today, only two gold half union coins exist. They are kept safe at the Smithsonian museum. There are also some copper versions of the coin. These copper coins can be worth over $300,000! The half union coin was never used by the public.
History of the Half Union Coin
In 1877, a famous coin designer named William Barber created this coin. He was the Chief Engraver at the U.S. Mint. William Barber also designed other coins. These include the "Amazonian Quarter" pattern and the Twenty Cent Piece. He also designed the Trade Dollar.
The half union coin was meant to be very heavy. It weighed about 2.5 ounces. It was also supposed to be made of solid gold. If it had been made for everyone to use, it would have been the highest-value gold coin ever made at that time. It would have been worth fifty dollars.
Since it was a pattern coin, it was never made for everyday use. Other versions were made for display. These were often made of copper or sometimes gilded metals. Only two coins were actually made from gold. Both of these gold coins are now at the Smithsonian.
The 1915 Commemorative Coin
The idea of a fifty-dollar coin came back in 1915. A special commemorative coin was made. It was called the Panama–Pacific half union. This coin celebrated San Francisco and the Panama–Pacific Exposition.
Some of these 1915 coins were round, like most coins. But others were shaped like an octagon (an eight-sided shape). This made it the first and only time the United States Mint has ever made a coin that wasn't round!
