Early Commemorative Half Dollar exonumia - Can I see some?
MWallace
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I have been collecting 1892/1893 Columbian Expo Half Dollar exonumia for years (love tokens, counterstamped, jewelry pieces, cigar cutter, etc.). Each piece is unique. However as a whole, they're not that rare, but they are fun to collect. I have over 100 pieces in my collection.
Other than the well known Stone Mountain counterstamped pieces, I rarely see other early Commemorative Half exonumia. If anyone has any, I'd love to see them.
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This President Monroe token has a connection to the US Monroe Doctrine 1923 commemorative half dollar.
President James Monroe Token - Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company
Aluminum, 35mm, 3.87gm
Obverse:
President James Monroe facing half left
COMPLIMENTS OF / LOS ANGELES RUBBER STAMP CO.
Reverse:
Los Angeles city emblem with flag, bear, eagle, castle, lion
MONROE DOCTRONE (sic) CENTENNIAL 1923 (The token misspells "doctrine")
STADIUM, LOS ANGELES. CALIF.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES / FOUNDED 1781
Both coin and token reference the Los Angeles 1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial Exposition which was created by the motion picture industry.
The exposition organizers picked the 100th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine as the theme for the coin as the coin needed the authorization of the United States Congress and a celebration of the film industry would not get that.
The tokens are dollar-size and sometimes turn up in films as substitutes for coins.
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
Oops
Get a copy of Arlie Slabaugh's book on commemorative coins. Lots of ephemera illustrated along with the coins.
I collect these items also. A couple examples:
These items are cool, no doubt. And continue to show them here, but I'm particularly talking about the Commemorative Half Dollars themselves that have been counterstamped, made into love tokens, etc.
I have nothing to contribute other than a website;
http://lovetokensociety.com/archives/reported-love-token-type-coins/
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I've got this old thing...
Click on this link to see my ebay listings.
A 1970 Stone Mountain medal. This was issued in 1970 when the project was finally completed.
This reminds of something, and I'm sorry but it is political. With the big push to remove all of the Confederate monuments around the country, I wonder the PC police are going to go after this? It would be a shame if they ordered it destroyed or covered up somehow.
Ah. Exonumia is a broad term, and I misunderstood the question.
Official Guest badge for the 1923 Motion Picture Exposition, featuring the Monroe Doctrine commemorative half dollar.
A similar badge sold at Stack's in 2011 for just under $3,200, and a second one sold at Stack's in 2015 for a bit over $3,500 with some related ephemera.
The Motion Picture Exposition and its associated badge were featured in the February 2015 issue of The Numismatist, with lots more information about both. That article stated that there were three examples known of the badge. This example would presumably be the fourth.
This badge has a plain suspension bar, without the COLUMBIA engraving that was on the two Stack’s specimens. Other than that, the condition seems quite a bit nicer than the first one sold by Stack’s and possibly comparable to the second. This one comes with a cotton-lined cardboard box that’s from the right period but wrong manufacturer (Joseph K. Davison), with some writing on the bottom that I can’t make out. The badge itself has the expected TIFFANY / & CO / STERLING markings on the back of the suspension bar.
Thanks to all for sharing.
@HoledandCreative...Is that first set a belt or a necklace?? Really nice.... Cheers, RickO
listed a Columbian Half on eBay which is encased in a large brass outer ring. No clue why someone would do this. Perhaps marketing ? Like me
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
It is a belt with 3 notches for when weight is lost.
Perhaps a paperweight?
Paperweight is a distinct possibility, Mr.D. Here's the other side.
``https://ebay.us/m/KxolR5
It took me until this weekend to dig this out, photograph it, and post it. It is a money clip from the Aurora Savings and Loan Association (presumably Aurora, Illinois).
ANA LM
USAF Retired — 34 years of active military service! 🇺🇸
RE: "Get a copy of Arlie Slabaugh's book on commemorative coins. Lots of ephemera illustrated along with the coins."
Get a used copy. A far better book by Lee G. will eventually be available.
Hey, Arlie was a nice guy. I knew him personally. His commemorative book was a pioneer work in the field.
After my listing of Thomas Elder tokens and medals came out in 1980, Arlie came up to me at the ANA convention that year and said "You know the (specific piece listed as unique in silver which escapes my memory at the moment)? I have it!" I shook his hand and said "Congratulations! So do it!" We both laughed.
TD
I had an opium dollar made from a columbian exposition half. Sold it on ebay a couple years back. I think it brought around $400 trying to find pics
More likely a photo locket. Years ago while I was working in Chicago we bought in a group of about 50 circ Columbian halves in an old leather purse. The coins were dripping with green scum from the leather, so I threw the lot in a glass jar of acetone and soaked it over the weekend.
When I went to rinse them off at the sink the following week, I noticed something oozing out of one coin. Checking the obvious spots I popped it open and found the melted remains of a picture with a celluloid cover inside.