Classic Commemoratives: History Lesson #14, 1920-21 Pilgrim
LeeG
Posts: 12,162 ✭
Seems to me to be a great time to talk about coins
Still in the 1920 year time frame. In my limited experience, nice Pilgrims with color are tough to find. When you do find one, it's time to go to the bank for a loan.
I hope some find this series as entertaining as I do. For me, it's all about the history and I enjoy sharing some here with others who enjoy it also.
The landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts is one of the most familiar episodes in American history, and one of the most appealing. In 1920, the nation observed the 300th anniversary of that landing, and a special half dollar was issued to mark the occasion. The observe of the coin bears a portrait of William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony. He’s shown wearing a hat and carrying a Bible under his left arm. The coin’s reverse depicts the Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrims to their new homeland and gained immortality in the process. A Boston sculptor, Cyrus E. Dallin, prepared the designs.
Congress authorized 300,000 Pilgrim half-dollars, and about 200,000 were struck in 1920. These were doubled-dated 1620-1920. With sales going well, the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commission asked the U.S. Mint to make the remainder of the authorized pieces- about 100,000-in 1921. These bore the same double dates on their reverse, but also were dated 1921 on the obverse. Interest in the coins dropped off as time went by, and many were returned to the Mint for melting. In the case of the 1921 Pilgrim halves, four-fifths of the mintage- 80,000 pieces-ended up in the Mint’s melting pot, leaving a net total of 20,053. Net mintage for 1920 was 152,112. Production problems plagued this particular “comem,” and there’s evidence of this in the defects that appear on many of the coins. A small number of 1921 pieces have heavy die striation marks, or grooves. Anthony Swiatek, a noted authority of U.S. commemorative coins, reports that only 75 such examples have been identified. Many Pilgrim halves were spent for face value during the Depression, and gems of both dates-especially 1921-are extremely hard to find.
PILGRIM - 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Pageant Booklet. "The Pilgrim Spirit" a Plymouth Tercentenary Pageant presented by the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commission and acted by the people of Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury and Marshfield (Massachusetts). The booklet details the entire pageant as well as listing the various committees. Of particular interest is the full-page advertisement asking the reader to "PROCURE A PILGRIM HALF DOLLAR AS A SOUVENIR OF YOUR VISIT." The depiction of the coin in the advertisement is actually one of the models that Cyrus Dallin used, that is without the usual coin mottoes on the final approved specimen that was struck. A very neat booklet!
Links To Previous Lessons:
Lesson #1
Lesson #2
Lesson #3
Lesson #4
Lesson #5
Lesson #6
Lesson #7
Lesson #8
Lesson #9
Lesson #10
Lesson #11
Lesson #12; 1918 Lincoln
Lesson #13; 1920 Maine
Still in the 1920 year time frame. In my limited experience, nice Pilgrims with color are tough to find. When you do find one, it's time to go to the bank for a loan. I hope some find this series as entertaining as I do. For me, it's all about the history and I enjoy sharing some here with others who enjoy it also.The landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts is one of the most familiar episodes in American history, and one of the most appealing. In 1920, the nation observed the 300th anniversary of that landing, and a special half dollar was issued to mark the occasion. The observe of the coin bears a portrait of William Bradford, the governor of the Plymouth Colony. He’s shown wearing a hat and carrying a Bible under his left arm. The coin’s reverse depicts the Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrims to their new homeland and gained immortality in the process. A Boston sculptor, Cyrus E. Dallin, prepared the designs.
Congress authorized 300,000 Pilgrim half-dollars, and about 200,000 were struck in 1920. These were doubled-dated 1620-1920. With sales going well, the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commission asked the U.S. Mint to make the remainder of the authorized pieces- about 100,000-in 1921. These bore the same double dates on their reverse, but also were dated 1921 on the obverse. Interest in the coins dropped off as time went by, and many were returned to the Mint for melting. In the case of the 1921 Pilgrim halves, four-fifths of the mintage- 80,000 pieces-ended up in the Mint’s melting pot, leaving a net total of 20,053. Net mintage for 1920 was 152,112. Production problems plagued this particular “comem,” and there’s evidence of this in the defects that appear on many of the coins. A small number of 1921 pieces have heavy die striation marks, or grooves. Anthony Swiatek, a noted authority of U.S. commemorative coins, reports that only 75 such examples have been identified. Many Pilgrim halves were spent for face value during the Depression, and gems of both dates-especially 1921-are extremely hard to find.
PILGRIM - 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Pageant Booklet. "The Pilgrim Spirit" a Plymouth Tercentenary Pageant presented by the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commission and acted by the people of Plymouth, Kingston, Duxbury and Marshfield (Massachusetts). The booklet details the entire pageant as well as listing the various committees. Of particular interest is the full-page advertisement asking the reader to "PROCURE A PILGRIM HALF DOLLAR AS A SOUVENIR OF YOUR VISIT." The depiction of the coin in the advertisement is actually one of the models that Cyrus Dallin used, that is without the usual coin mottoes on the final approved specimen that was struck. A very neat booklet!
Links To Previous Lessons:
Lesson #1
Lesson #2
Lesson #3
Lesson #4
Lesson #5
Lesson #6
Lesson #7
Lesson #8
Lesson #9
Lesson #10
Lesson #11
Lesson #12; 1918 Lincoln
Lesson #13; 1920 Maine
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Comments
The reverse is my fave classic commem ship. Love the sail detail/depth.
Don
A couple of nice looking original examples too.
<< <i>In my limited experience, nice Pilgrims with color are tough to find. >>
That's what I hear.
Russ, NCNE
-Amanda
I'm a YN working on a type set!
My Buffalo Nickel Website Home of the Quirky Buffaloes Collection!
Proud member of the CUFYNA
<< <i>That's what I hear.
I think the "FatMan" found a "Moose" in the Pacific Northwest somewhere.
<< <i>
<< <i>In my limited experience, nice Pilgrims with color are tough to find. >>
That's what I hear.
Russ, NCNE >>
If you read the right forum, you can find them in the strangest place.
It's one of the prettiest Pilgrims I've seen!
<< <i>Fats - Just give Russ his due for finding it for you. >>
He gave me something better - even though he didn't have to - money!
Rus, NCNE
K
My latest add on.............
edited to add: Incredible toned 1920, FatMan!!!!!!!!
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
<< <i>
MJ, MJ, MJ......are you freakin' kiddin' me?? !!!!!!
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
That is drop dead gorgeous!
Lance.
JH
Proof Buffalo Registry Set
Capped Bust Quarters Registry Set
Proof Walking Liberty Halves Registry Set