United States Sesquicentennial coinage facts for kids
| Value | 50 cents (0.50 US dollars) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 12.50 g |
| Diameter | 30.6 mm |
| Thickness | 1.8 mm |
| Edge | reeded |
| Composition |
|
| Silver | 0.36169 troy oz |
| Years of minting | 1926 |
| Mint marks | None. All pieces struck at Philadelphia Mint without mint mark. |
| Obverse | |
|
|
|
| Design | Jugate heads of George Washington and Calvin Coolidge |
| Designer | Modeled by John R. Sinnock from designs by John Frederick Lewis |
| Design date | 1926 |
| Reverse | |
|
|
|
| Design | The Liberty Bell |
| Designer | Modeled by John R. Sinnock from designs by John Frederick Lewis |
| Design date | 1926 |
| United States | |
| Value | 2.5 United States dollars |
|---|---|
| Mass | 4.18 g |
| Diameter | 18 mm |
| Edge | reeded |
| Composition | .900 gold, .100 copper |
| Gold | .12094 troy oz |
| Years of minting | 1926 |
| Mint marks | None. All pieces struck at Philadelphia Mint without mint mark. |
| Obverse | |
|
|
|
| Design | Liberty, bearing a scroll representing the United States Declaration of Independence and a torch |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock |
| Design date | 1926 |
| Reverse | |
|
|
|
| Design | Independence Hall, with a rising Sun behind it |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock |
| Design date | 1926 |
The United States Sesquicentennial coin issue includes two special coins: a commemorative half dollar and a quarter eagle (a gold $2.50 coin). These coins were made in 1926 at the Philadelphia Mint. They celebrated the 150th anniversary of American independence.
The front (obverse) of the half dollar shows the faces of the first president, George Washington, and the president in 1926, Calvin Coolidge. This makes it the only American coin to show a president while they were still alive. The back (reverse) of the half dollar features the Liberty Bell. This design was later used again on the Franklin half dollar in 1948.
Congress allowed these special coins to be made in March 1925. The National Sesquicentennial Exhibition Commission was in charge of organizing a big event in Philadelphia. They were allowed to buy 1,000,000 half dollars and 200,000 quarter eagles. The Commission could then sell these coins to the public for a higher price to help pay for the event.
The Commission had some trouble agreeing on the coin designs with the Mint's Chief Engraver, John R. Sinnock. They asked a Philadelphia lawyer and art lover named John Frederick Lewis to create some sketches. Sinnock then used these sketches to create the final designs, but he didn't give Lewis credit for his work. Most people didn't know about Lewis's involvement for about 40 years.
Both the quarter eagle and the half dollar were made in the largest numbers allowed. However, many of them did not sell. Because of this, a lot of the coins were sent back to the Mint to be melted down.
Contents
Creating the Sesquicentennial Coins
Special laws were passed to create commemorative coins for the 150th anniversary of American independence. These laws were made to help the United States National Sesquicentennial Exhibition Commission. This group was organizing a big event called the Sesquicentennial Exposition in Philadelphia.
The law, passed on March 3, 1925, allowed one million half dollars and 200,000 quarter eagles to be made. These coins were meant to celebrate the 150th year of American Independence. The Commission could buy these coins at their regular value and then sell them to the public for more money. The money they earned would help fund the Exposition.
Early Coin Ideas
The first idea for the coins, introduced in Congress, included a $1.50 gold coin, commemorative half dollars, and a $1 bill. However, the Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew W. Mellon, did not support the $1.50 gold coins. The Commission also wanted coins that showed how the country grew, like with the Louisiana Purchase. But these ideas were not included in the final law.
Designing the Coins
The Commission of Fine Arts, a group that advises on coin designs, asked the Sesquicentennial Commission about their plans for the coins. They were told that the Sesquicentennial Commission was working with the new Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint, John R. Sinnock. Sinnock's boss, George T. Morgan, had passed away earlier that year.
The Sesquicentennial Commission was not happy with Sinnock's first designs. So, they hired John Frederick Lewis to create new ones. Lewis was known for collecting coins, not for being an artist. On December 8, 1925, Lewis's sketches for the half dollar were sent to the Fine Arts Commission. These sketches looked a lot like the half dollar we know today.
The Fine Arts Commission approved the half dollar designs. They said that a skilled sculptor needed to turn the sketches into models. Sinnock then made these models, and they were approved in March 1926.
Sinnock's own sketches for the quarter eagle were sent for approval in February 1926. The Fine Arts Commission approved them with a few suggestions. For example, they suggested moving the motto E Pluribus Unum to the back of the coin.
Coin Designs and Features
The front of the half dollar shows the faces of George Washington, the first U.S. president, and Calvin Coolidge, who was president in 1926. It was unusual to show a living president on a U.S. coin. An old law from 1866 said that no living person should be on U.S. coins or money. However, this rule had been broken before and would be again. Coolidge is the only president to appear on a U.S. coin while still in office.
The back of the half dollar features the Liberty Bell. This was the first U.S. coin to show the words "Pass and Stow" on the bell. These words refer to the people who recast the bell after it broke in 1752. Sinnock's initials, JRS, are on the front of the coin, near Washington's neck.
The front of the quarter eagle coin shows Liberty. She wears a special cap and holds a scroll, which stands for the United States Declaration of Independence. She also holds a torch, like the one on the Statue of Liberty. The back of the coin shows Independence Hall, where the Declaration was signed. Behind the building, a rising sun is visible. Sinnock's initials are on the right side of the building. The image of Independence Hall on this coin is very similar to the one used on the Bicentennial half dollar made 50 years later.
The Sesquicentennial Commission wanted the coins to have a very shallow design. This meant that the details on the coins did not stand out very well. Because of this, many coin collectors do not find the half dollar very appealing.
However, some art historians have a more positive view. They praised the technical skill used in making the half dollar. They also thought the Liberty Bell and the lettering on the back were very precise. For the quarter eagle, they noted that the figure of Liberty looked a bit like a "flapper" from the 1920s, even though she wore classical robes.
How the Coins Were Sold
_(rev).jpg)
The very first Sesquicentennial half dollar was made by Philadelphia Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick on May 19, 1926. This special coin was given to President Coolidge when he visited the Exposition. Today, it is kept at the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum.
The Philadelphia Mint made 1,000,528 half dollars and 200,226 quarter eagles in May and June 1926. The extra coins were set aside for inspection. The gold quarter eagle was only the second commemorative quarter eagle ever made, after the one from 1915. No more gold commemorative coins were made until 1984.
The Sesquicentennial Exposition opened in Philadelphia on June 1, 1926. It was paid for partly by $5 million from the city. Many exhibits were not finished when the fair opened, and construction continued even as the fair was happening. Many businesses that participated lost money, and the city also lost money. The Exposition is generally not considered a very successful fair.
The coins were sold at the Exposition and by mail. The half dollar cost $1, and the quarter eagle cost $4. However, they did not sell well at all. The Commission had hoped to sell all of them, but this was not the case. Even though six million people visited the Exposition, a huge number of coins were returned to the Mint to be melted down. Out of 1,000,000 half dollars, 859,408 were melted. Similarly, 154,207 out of 200,000 quarter eagles were melted.
Coin experts have noted that the sales were very low. One expert, Arlie R. Slabaugh, wrote in 1975 that people in 1926 must have been very "complacent" (too relaxed) about their independence, judging by how few coins were sold.
After Sinnock's death in 1947, the reverse design of the Liberty Bell was reused on the Franklin half dollar, first made in 1948. For many years, only Sinnock was given credit for the designs of both coins. However, in 1967, a book by Don Taxay revealed Lewis's involvement. Today, coin guides like R. S. Yeoman's A Guide Book of United States Coins credit both John Frederick Lewis and John R. Sinnock for the half dollar design. The half dollar is valued at about $90, and the quarter eagle starts around $450, though prices can be higher for coins in better condition.
