1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Greenback is a basic U.S. commemorative coin issued to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the State of Illinois’ admission into the Union. The coin is typically referred to as the Lincoln-Illinois Half Greenback in numismatic circles as a result of sixteenth President Abraham Lincoln, some of the notable Illinoians in American historical past, is featured prominently on the obverse.

The Illinois Centennial Fee lobbied for the coin’s creation following the discharge of a five-coin set struck to honor the completion of the Panama Canal and a two-year commemorative gold greenback program struck to assist fund the development of the William McKinley Memorial. The Illinois Centennial is the thirteenth commemorative design issued by the United States however solely the third commemorative half greenback. From the Nineteen Twenties onward, half {dollars} would dominate the sequence.

With the help of their Congressional delegation, the Illinois Centennial Fee lobbied for the creation of the coin to assist it underwrite centennial celebrations in Springfield and throughout the state. The Fee deliberate to distribute 100,000 cash via varied financial institution branches and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce at a 100% markup. Congress acquiesced to the Fee and licensed the coin’s manufacturing with a invoice signed into legislation on June 1, 1918.

The Philadelphia Mint struck all 100,000 cash licensed by the Act, plus 58 for assay, in August 1918. Mint Chief Engraver George T. Morgan designed the coin’s obverse, whereas Assistant Engraver John Ray Sinnock dealt with the reverse.

Morgan modeled the design after sculptor Andrew O’Connor’s life-size statue of Lincoln, which was unveiled on the grounds in entrance of the Illinois Capitol on October 5, 1918. O’Connor depicted Lincoln along with his head tilted barely downward. For the coin’s reverse, John Sinnock tailored the eagle from the Nice Seal of the State of Illinois.

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1918 Illinois Centennial Half Greenback Market Knowledge and Noteworthy Specimens

In an advert within the December 1947 situation of The Numismatist, coin supplier R. Bart Holmes of Detroit, Michigan, listed a promoting worth of $3.00 for a Sensible Uncirculated 1918 Illinois-Centennial Half Greenback. In that very same situation, supplier Henry Grunthal of New York additionally requested for $3.00 for an instance from his stock.

In a December 1974 Numismatic Scrapbook Journal advert, sellers Frank and Laurene Karen of Silver Spring, Maryland, supplied Sensible Uncirculated examples of the Illinois Centennial Half Greenback for $59 every.

In a two-page advert printed within the October 1976 Numismatist, supplier Joel Rettew supplied “GEM BU” examples of the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Greenback for $55 every.

High Inhabitants: PCGS MS68+ (2, 11/2024), NGC MS68 (8, 11/2024), and CAC MS68 (1:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• NGC MS68 #545454-023: “Gregg Bingham Assortment”; Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2023, Lot 3294 – $11,400. Bingham Assortment on insert. Pastel firming across the periphery.
• PCGS MS68 #25628857: As PCGS MS67 CAC #25204944. Heritage Auctions, June 5, 2015, Lot 5562 – $3,760. As PCGS MS68 #25628857. Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 4171 – $17,400. Upgraded by one level. Russet and gold firming alongside the periphery with two blobs of firming within the higher proper obverse subject. 
• NGC MS68 #163972-007: Heritage Auctions, July 27, 2002, Lot 5078 – $7,762.50. High pop, pop two when supplied; “The Cary & Cheryl Porter Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, Could 10, 2007, Lot 2542 – $14,375. Mottled gold and olive firming masking the obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #47459785: Heritage Auctions, August 16, 2024, Lot 5346 – $3,120. Mottled firming in olive, orange, and blue.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #50068675: Heritage Auctions, Could 10, 2024, Lot 4944 – $3,120. Faint rainbow firming alongside the periphery.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #47459785: Heritage Auctions, March 29, 2024, Lot 3637 – $6,000. Champagne hue all through with scattered slate, gold, and rust firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #38141031: As PCGS MS67+ CAC #80582830. Heritage Auctions, August 12, 2016, Lot 6233 – $12,925. As PCGS MS67+ CAC #38141031. Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2023, Lot 3295 – $10,800. Blue and orange rim firming. On the obverse, blue firming encroaches upon the precise subject.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #35685445: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, July 28, 2022, Lot 31 – $14,000. Gold facilities with orange and inexperienced firming all through.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #44539180: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, January 27, 2022, Lot 270 – $9,987.50. Darkish rust firming alongside the periphery of the obverse. Gold and inexperienced firming within the inside. Inexperienced firming alongside the periphery of the reverse with gold and rust within the inside.
• PCGS MS67+ #41084276: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, April 21, 2024, Lot 398 – $5,405. Darkish rainbow firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #39074612: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, July 16, 2020, Lot 527 – $2,350. Scattered gold and orange firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25667450: Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2020, Lot 4197 – $3,060. Cognac firming all through obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #02323642: Heritage Auctions, December 6, 2019, Lot 4483 – $3,120. Mottled brown firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #81345647: “The 5 Generations of Eby Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, January 11, 2019, Lot 6163 – $2,400. Brown and gold mottled firming.
• NGC MS67+* #4631505-008: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, November 15, 2018, Lot 431 – $1,821.25. Golden orange firming all through.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #34071588: Heritage Auctions, January 5, 2018, Lot 5759 – $4,080. Latte colour with scattered specks of brown firming. Darkish curvilinear firming streak below LIBERTY.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25348742: Larry Shepherd; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, June 25, 2016, Lot 452 – $7,637.50; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, December 15, 2016, Lot 491 – $5,875; Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, August 1-10, 2017, Lot 133 – $4,100. The Larry Shepherd Assortment on insert. Lustrous with inexperienced, gold, and orange firming at 11 o’clock. Orange firming at 5 o’clock.
• PCGS MS67+ #81633549: Heritage Auctions, February 17, 2017, Lot 5328 – $3,525. Gold and cerulean blue firming alongside the periphery.
• PCGS MS67+ #25625023: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2017, Lot 6205 – $2,350. Darkish crimson and rust-colored firming throughout the higher third of the obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25356385: Legend Uncommon Coin Auctions, September 4 – November 2, 2014, Lot 119 – Passed; Heritage Auctions, August 8-17, 2016, Lot 112 – $5,250. Gold, inexperienced, and orange firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #81345647: Heritage Auctions, September 7, 2016, Lot 3251 – $3,701.25. Dusting of olive firming all through.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25693110: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2016, Lot 3379 – $2,350.  Scattered brown firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25360165: “The Rolling Thunder 50 Piece Commemorative Assortment,” Heritage Auctions, September 18, 2015, Lot 5399 – $2,585. Gentle scattered firming.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25692578: Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2015, Lot 6654 – $5,170. Champagne facilities. Flashy. With rust and blue firming alongside the periphery. Streaks of firming under IN GOD WE TRUST.
• PCGS MS67+ #25045592: Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2013, Lot 2923 – $5,581.25. Darkish russet firming alongside the periphery. Scattered butterscotch firming via the fields. On the reverse, the underside periphery is toned inexperienced and blue.

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Design

Obverse:

The obverse contains a right-facing beardless bust of President Abraham Lincoln, depicted along with his head tilted barely downward. Wrapping across the high of the design is the inscription CENTENNIAL·OF·THE·STATE·OF·ILLINOIS. To the precise of Lincoln’s bowtie, the phrase LIBERTY. Behind Lincoln’s head, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The date 1918 seems within the curved exergue house.

Reverse:

The reverse is predicated on the Nice Seal of the State of Illinois. Right here, a boldly drawn eagle stands proud, its left talon gripping a rock and its proper talon holding a federal defend. In its beak is a ribbon bearing the phrases STATE SOVEREIGNTY NATIONAL UNION. In entrance of the rock and defend is an olive department of peace. The solar rises out of the east. Atop it’s the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Wrapping across the inside the rim is the legend and denomination · UNITED · STATES · OF · AMERICA · HALF DOLLAR ·.

Edge:

The sting of the 1928 Illinois Centennial Commemorative Half Greenback is reeded.

Coin Specs

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