1922 - No Hayes Commemorative Half Dollars To be Issued
LeeG
Posts: 12,162 ✭
While conducting research for my "Coffee-Table" book, not all legislation for Classic Commemoratives was approved:
Editorial Comment-Numismatic News.
From The Numismatist dated October 1922:
Senator Frank B. Willis
The daily press of the country carried a dispatch from Washington about September 10 to the effect that the Senate had passed a bill introduced by Senator Frank B. Willis, of Ohio, authorizing the coinage of 100,000 half dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes at Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1922.
The dispatch was correct as far as it went, but it now appears that the coins will not be issued. The Numismatist has received the following lettter from Senator Willis:
"I have your letter as to my bill, passed by the Senate during my brief absence from Washington, in re coinage of half dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late President Rutherford Burchard Hayes. I enclose herewith copy of the bill and have to advise that no action will be taken on this measure by the House of Representatives, inasmuch as some plans have been changed whereby it is advisable that there be no such a coinage of half dollars as provided by my bill, upon which there would have been no action by the Senate had I been present when it came before the body"
The bill authorizing the coinage is similar in all respects to the bills which authorized other commemoarive half dollars recently. We have no information as to whether the entire plan of issuing a commemorative coin has been abandoned, or whether it applies only to a coin of half dollar denomination. There appears to be a better market for commemorative gold dollars than for half dollars, due perhaps to the numerous issues recently of the latter denomination.
Rutherford B. and Lucy Webb Hayes Wedding Daguerreotype
Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Ware Webb first met at the Ohio White Sulphur Springs in Delaware in 1847. This 4.6" x 6" (11.7 x 15.2 cm) daguerreotype photograph was taken on their wedding day, December 30, 1852. A close couple, Lucy accompanied her husband to the front while he served in the Civil War and on official visits during his political career as governor of Ohio and president of the United States. This photograph is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Collection at the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. The extensive collection consists of photographs, documents, books, and ephemera.
Rutherford B. Hayes was the fifth child of Rutherford and Sophia Birchard Hayes, who came to Ohio in 1817 from Vermont. He was born October 4, 1822, at Delaware, Ohio, two months after the death of his father. Young Rutherford and sister Fanny Arabella were raised by their mother and her younger bachelor brother Sardis Birchard. Hayes graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in 1842 and from Harvard Law School in 1845. He began his law practice in Lower Sandusky, but moved in 1849 to Cincinnati, where he became a successful lawyer, a Republican, and an opponent of slavery.
Hayes was elected to Congress during the Civil War despite his refusal to campaign. He was reelected in 1866. The following year Ohio voters elected him governor. He retired to Fremont after completing his second gubernatorial term in 1872, but was elected for a third term in 1875. That same year, the Republican Party chose Hayes as its presidential candidate. He won the 1876 election only after the creation of a special commission to decide disputed electoral votes. Honoring his commitment not to accept a second term, Hayes retired to his beautiful home, Spiegel Grove, where he died on January 17, 1893.
Lucy Webb Hayes, born on August 28, 1831 in Chillicothe, Ohio, is noteworthy as the first wife of a president to be called "First Lady" and the first to have graduated from college. As First Lady, she banned the serving of alcohol in the White House, giving her the nickname "Lemonade Lucy." A strong anti-slavery supporter, Lucy worked for many social causes, including scholarships for Native Americans and donations for the poor. When Congress banned children from rolling out their Easter eggs on the grounds of the Capitol, Lucy invited the children to the White House. The tradition continues today. Lucy Hayes suffered a fatal stroke and died on June 25, 1889. (Info from: http://omp.ohiolink.edu/)
Editorial Comment-Numismatic News.
From The Numismatist dated October 1922:
Senator Frank B. Willis
The daily press of the country carried a dispatch from Washington about September 10 to the effect that the Senate had passed a bill introduced by Senator Frank B. Willis, of Ohio, authorizing the coinage of 100,000 half dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes at Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1922.
The dispatch was correct as far as it went, but it now appears that the coins will not be issued. The Numismatist has received the following lettter from Senator Willis:
"I have your letter as to my bill, passed by the Senate during my brief absence from Washington, in re coinage of half dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late President Rutherford Burchard Hayes. I enclose herewith copy of the bill and have to advise that no action will be taken on this measure by the House of Representatives, inasmuch as some plans have been changed whereby it is advisable that there be no such a coinage of half dollars as provided by my bill, upon which there would have been no action by the Senate had I been present when it came before the body"
The bill authorizing the coinage is similar in all respects to the bills which authorized other commemoarive half dollars recently. We have no information as to whether the entire plan of issuing a commemorative coin has been abandoned, or whether it applies only to a coin of half dollar denomination. There appears to be a better market for commemorative gold dollars than for half dollars, due perhaps to the numerous issues recently of the latter denomination.
Rutherford B. and Lucy Webb Hayes Wedding Daguerreotype
Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Ware Webb first met at the Ohio White Sulphur Springs in Delaware in 1847. This 4.6" x 6" (11.7 x 15.2 cm) daguerreotype photograph was taken on their wedding day, December 30, 1852. A close couple, Lucy accompanied her husband to the front while he served in the Civil War and on official visits during his political career as governor of Ohio and president of the United States. This photograph is part of the Rutherford B. Hayes Collection at the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont. The extensive collection consists of photographs, documents, books, and ephemera.
Rutherford B. Hayes was the fifth child of Rutherford and Sophia Birchard Hayes, who came to Ohio in 1817 from Vermont. He was born October 4, 1822, at Delaware, Ohio, two months after the death of his father. Young Rutherford and sister Fanny Arabella were raised by their mother and her younger bachelor brother Sardis Birchard. Hayes graduated from Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in 1842 and from Harvard Law School in 1845. He began his law practice in Lower Sandusky, but moved in 1849 to Cincinnati, where he became a successful lawyer, a Republican, and an opponent of slavery.
Hayes was elected to Congress during the Civil War despite his refusal to campaign. He was reelected in 1866. The following year Ohio voters elected him governor. He retired to Fremont after completing his second gubernatorial term in 1872, but was elected for a third term in 1875. That same year, the Republican Party chose Hayes as its presidential candidate. He won the 1876 election only after the creation of a special commission to decide disputed electoral votes. Honoring his commitment not to accept a second term, Hayes retired to his beautiful home, Spiegel Grove, where he died on January 17, 1893.
Lucy Webb Hayes, born on August 28, 1831 in Chillicothe, Ohio, is noteworthy as the first wife of a president to be called "First Lady" and the first to have graduated from college. As First Lady, she banned the serving of alcohol in the White House, giving her the nickname "Lemonade Lucy." A strong anti-slavery supporter, Lucy worked for many social causes, including scholarships for Native Americans and donations for the poor. When Congress banned children from rolling out their Easter eggs on the grounds of the Capitol, Lucy invited the children to the White House. The tradition continues today. Lucy Hayes suffered a fatal stroke and died on June 25, 1889. (Info from: http://omp.ohiolink.edu/)
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Comments
I grew up in Sandusky Ohio and was somewhat perplexed about the reference in your article about
Lower Sandusky.
You see, I had never heard of Lower Sandusky. A quick google search shows that the name of the town
was changed, years ago, to Fremont.
Fremont is a very short SW distance from Sandusky.
Thanks for your article, and helping me discover something about the area in which I grew up.
Gary
Those who follow the history of the civil rights moment will also note the Hays ended the military occupation of the South thus leaving African-Americans to their fate, which resulted in the rule of Jim Crow. After the 1876 presidential election, the Republicans used the army to impound the ballots which led to the fradulent result. In fairness some subsequent president would have had to have pulled the troops out of the southern states. Hays did it, probably as part of the deal that gave him the White House.
BTW, Hayes had a great beard, you just don't see beards like that these days, except maybe on coughdrop boxes.
Editorial Comment-Numismatic News.
From The Numismatist dated November 1922:
THE HAYES SOUVENIR HALF DOLLAR PROJECT ABANDONED
Rutherford B. Hayes during the Civil War where he rose to the rank of Major General
It now seems certain there will be no issue of souvenir half dollars commemorating the 100th anniversary of Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes. A bill authorizing an issue of 100,000 half dollars for this purpose was passed by the Senate in September. In last month's issue we published a letter from Senator Willis, of Ohio, the author of the bill, stating that a change of plans made it inadvisable that there be such coinage of half dollars and that no action on the bill would be taken by the House.
The 100th anniversary of the birth of Ex-President Hayes was celebrated at Fremont, Ohio, on October 4 with apropriate exercises, under the auspices of the Ohio State Historical and Archaeological Society. No public announcement has been made of the reasons for abandoning the issue of the Hayes souvenir coins, but on good authroity they are said to be substantially as follows: The purpose of the issue, which had been contemplated for some time, was to provide funds for the purchase and maintenance of the Hayes homestead at Delaware, Ohio, in which the Ex-President was born, as a permanent memorial. In the meantime the building ws purchased by interests which, it is said, proposed to demolish the building and erect a filling station on the site. The importance of preserving the building was brought to the attention of John D. Rockefeller, who purchased it and presented it to the city of Delaware for memorial purposes, as well as provided for its maintenance. This is believed to be the principal reason for abandoning the isue of souvenir coins for the purpose.
Col. Webb Hayes who received the Medal of Honor on December 4, 1899 for his role leading a party to rescue U.S. soldiers during the Philippine Insurrection.
The house in Fremont, Ohio, in which Hayes was living when elected President has been presented to the Ohio State Historical and Archaeological Society and endowed by Col. Webb Hayes, son of the Ex-President, as a permanent Hayes memorial, and there was considerable objection to another similar memorial building at Delaware, his birthplace.
It is also reported that the bill authorizing the issue of coins was allowed to remian on the calendar of the Senate after the purchase of the building at Delaware had been otherwise provided for, and that the intention was to have it passed finally, with proper amendments, and apply the proceeds from the sale of the coins to defraying the expenses of the centenary celebration at Fremont. This plan was also finally abandoned.
And the result is that collectors are disappointed in not having another commemorative half dollar.
To me it definately looks like someone dropped the ball on this one. Can't quite figure out who though, Col. Webb Hayes?
The Hayes Presidential Center, Inc. operates and manages the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. A non-profit entity, it receives the majority of its funding through the Rutherford B. Hayes/Lucy Webb Hayes Foundation. The State of Ohio also provides an annual appropriation administered through the Ohio Historical Society.
Webb C. Hayes, the second son of Rutherford and Lucy Hayes, endowed the Foundation in 1922. It was Webb who, shortly after the 1893 death of his famous father, started an effort to build a lasting memorial to the 19th President. He deeded the President's estate (Spiegel Grove) to the State of Ohio and the President's personal papers and possessions to the Ohio Historical Society contingent on the construction of a "fireproof building" on the grounds of the estate. Webb's dream came to fruition in 1916 with the opening of what was then called the Hayes Memorial.
The Rutherford B. Hayes Home is a 31-one room mansion and centerpiece of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio.
However, Webb considered the two-story Ohio sandstone structure of inadequate size to house his father's collections. He personally funded an addition to structure in 1922, doubling its size. It was at this time that Webb endowed the foundation to fund operation of the facility.
The Hayes Museum/Library underwent a second expansion in 1968. Two wings, built onto the east and west ends of the structure, added 35,874 square feet of space. The project supported expansion of the facility's educational outreach through increased exhibit and library space, and construction of an auditorium.
In 1981, the facility's name was changed to the Hayes Presidential Center to more accurately represent its mission and programming. The Hayes Presidential Center includes the home, library, museum, tomb, and 25-acre park-like estate (called Spiegel Grove) of 19th U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes. Entrance to the property is through the original gates from the White House.
Images and additional info from here:
Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
Larry L.