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The Grinch Who Shut Down the Commemorative Program
Between 1892 and 1928, the United States minted some great commemorative coins in both silver and gold. The minting of commemorative coins was a great tradition going back some two thousand years or more. By 1892, our own coining abilities had matured to the point that we too had something numismatic to celebrate, The Columbian Exposition or World's Fair in 1893.
No coins were minted to celebrate either of these events although the U.S. postal authority printed some special envelopes at the Centennial Event noting the Centennial. It featured a train which was the epitome of state of the art transportation in 1876. This may have been our first commemorative stamp issue. In 1892, the U.S. Mint struck our first commemorative half dollar featuring Christopher Columbus. The first coin struck in that mintage sold for a huge price of ten thousand dollars. Charles Barber designed the coin. In 1893, the actual year of the Columbian Exposition, more halves were minted, as well as a twenty-five cent piece honoring the Queen Isabella and the women of the Columbian Committee. In 1899, commemorative dollars were struck at the behest of the Lafayette Memorial Commission to raise funds for an equestrian statue of Lafeyette for the 1900 Paris Exposition. The date 1900 appears on these coins. In 1903, 1904, and 1905, gold dollars were minted featuring Lewis and Clark, Thomas Jefferson, and William McKinley to celebrate the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis. In 1915, a half dollar, dollar, two-and-a-half dollar, and two fifty dollar gold pieces were minted to honor the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915. In 1916 and 1917 gold dollars were minted to honor William McKinley. In 1918, a coin featuring Abraham Lincoln was minted to mark the centennial of Illinois statehood.
In 1922, silver half dollars, with and without a star were minted honoring U.S. Grants' one hundredth birthday. Gold dollars, with and without star, were also minted. In 1923, we marked the centennial of the Monroe Doctrine (when we declared the Americas off limits to European colonization). The next year, a coin and a set of three stamps were issued to honor the 300th anniversary of the arrival of French Huguenots (Protestants) and Waloons in America.
1926 was also pretty busy. The beautiful Oregon Trail half dollar was minted. The Sesquicentennial (150 years) of American Independence was honored. This coin featured the portrait of George Washington and a living president as well, Calvin Coolidge. Some people found this disturbing in a democratic republic. In 1927, Vermont's Sesquicentennial was noted on a truly handsome coin featuring Ira Allen and a wild cat whose species has never been established. A handsome coin featuring Captain Cook and a warrior chief was minted in 1928. A second Oregon half dollar was also minted that year. This was to be the last year that commemorative were to be minted for five years. Up to this point, a complete set of United States commemorative silver coins would consist of a total of twenty-six pieces and thirteen gold pieces. Enter Herbert Clark Hoover. Hoover became president on March 4, 1929. He was an active stamp collector. During his administration, some thirty commemorative stamps were issued honoring: George Rogers Clark, Aviation, Edison, Gen. John Sullivan, Gen. Anthony Wayne, the Ohio River Canal, Massachusetts, Charleston, South Carolina, the Battle of Braddock's Field, Gen. von Steuben, Gen. Pulaski, The Red Cross, the Battle of Yorktown, Washington in a series of a dozen stamps, the Winter Olympics of 1932, Arbor Day, the summer Olympic Games of 1932, William Penn, and Daniel Webster. But the Grinch Hoover did not allow a single commemorative coin to be struck! All of the events commemorated by stamps during the Hoover years would have made great coins as well. It is quite true that the Great Depression began on Hoover's watch in October of 1929, but that did not stop the issuing of the Graf Zeppelin set of stamps in 1930 in denominations of sixty-five cents, a dollar and thirty cents, and two dollars and fifty cents. A price of $4.55 for the set of three zeppelins represented a small fortune in 1930.
Hoover made a definitive choice not to mint the coins, but huge issues of stamps flowed like water. So what's with that? Herbert Clark Hoover, arguably a good and moral man, was the Grinch who closed down the commemorative coin program. It was a bleak five years in the wilderness for numismatists. Truly the Hoover years were sad and bleak for many for a wide variety of reasons. Then in 1932, Hoover was defeated at the polls by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and everybody had hope again. He was an "idea and action man" who was a true innovator. He dared to shake the universe. Roosevelt was also a great stamp collector who continued a wonderful commemorative stamp program. He also loved coins and opened the floodgates to a great era of commemorative coins. As of his inauguration of March 4, 1933, the Grinch Hoover was given the gate and the good times were rolling again for American Coin Collectors. If you want to catch up with me in the near future, you can see me at the following shows. From November 18 to 20, 2005, I'll be at new England's biggest show, The Bay State Show run by Ed Aleo since 1962. This show is held at Boston's Radisson Hotel at 200 Stuart Street. This is a show not to be missed. On November 27, 2005, I'll be back at Ernie Botte's ever popular Westford Coin Show at the Westford Regency Inn on Route 110 in Westford, Mass. Rt. 110 is located right off Exit 32 from Rt. 495. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. On December 11, 2005, an era will come to an end. The very last coin show will be held at The Best West Yankee Drummer Inn in Auburn, Mass. The hotel located on Rt. 12, off Exit 10 from the Massachusetts Turnpike, is slated for demolition. Tom Lacey, who has run these shows for years at this location, is moving his show just a short distance away. We'll be back in action in Auburn before you know it. Show hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. come on down for the last gasp. I hope to see all of your soon. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Remember to bring your November copy of the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles to Ed Aleo's Bay State Show to get your free proof set at the door. |
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