United States Coin Front side "Stone Mountion"....Two Men on Horse Back Riding Right to Left Back side "Memoral to the vager of the shoulder of the South" Setting Eagle on the left side of coin What is the name of the coin?
The Stone Mountain Memorial Commemorative was issued to help raise funds for the carving of a monument to the Confederacy on Stone Mountain, Georgia. Gutzon Borglum, who later went on to create the Mount Rushmore Memorial, was the original Stone Mountain sculptor, and prepared the models used on the coin. 1.3-million+ business strikes and no proofs were minted. BTW the reverse legend is "Memorial to the Valor of the Soldier of the South". to CoinTalk cm.
Welcome to CoinTalk! Also, check the reverse for counterstamped letters and numbers. Some of the Stone Mountain Halves were counterstamped by state sales agencies, and are worth more than normal coins.
A single matte proof was reported, but I don't know if its whereabouts is currently known. Likely a presentation piece for John Sinnock.
John R. (Ray) Sinnock (1888 - 1947) was the eighth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint and designer of the Roosevelt dime and Franklin half dollar, among other U.S. coins. His initials "JS" on the dime can be found at the base of the Roosevelt bust. He also sculpted, although did not design, the Purple Heart medal. Good luck Frank
Here ya go Nathan,I like the fields of these coins which were made to simulate stone. An interesting side note:The memorial wasn't completed and dedicated until 1970! What was up with THAT????
Well, as they say on the radio, here's the rest of the story: Stone Mountain Memorial: Delayed until 1923, work began on the largest project of its kind under American artist Gutzon Borglum. Borglum quit amid a good deal of controversy on both sides. According to one story, he crossed the border to South Carolina just ahead of the police.) This may be just historical fiction, but I have heard that Borglum did have a hard time getting funding. That was the original idea behind the commemorative coin.. to fund the sculpting of the memorial.) Augustus Lukeman tried to create a new sculpture, but a limited timeframe ended his attempt. Borglum's work was removed from the mountain by blasting and a new carving begun. After three years of work, the mountain was incomplete and the property reverted to the Venable family, the previous owners. The carving project resumed on July 4, 1964. Dedication services were held for the carvings in Stone Mountain on May 9, 1970, although the work continued through 1972. The carving was considered complete on March 3, 1972. In the mean time, he (Borglum) went to work on Mount Rushmore: Doane Robinson, a historian, conceived the idea for Mount Rushmore in 1923 in order to attract greater tourism to South Dakota. In 1924, Robinson persuaded sculptor Gutzon Borglum to go to the Black Hills region to ensure that the carving could be accomplished. Borglum, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, was then involved in sculpting a massive bas-relief memorial to Confederate leaders on Stone Mountain in Georgia. The original plan was to do the carvings in the Needles, several granite pillars. However, Borglum realized that that plan could not be carried out because the Needles, worn down by erosion, were too thin to support sculpting. He chose Mount Rushmore, a grander spot, partly because it faced southeast and enjoyed maximum exposure to the sun. Borglum said upon seeing Mount Rushmore, "America will march along that skyline."Congress authorized the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission on March 3, 1925. President Coolidge insisted that along with Washington, two Republicans and one Democrat be portrayed. Between October 4, 1927 and October 31, 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the 60 foot (18 m) colossal carvings of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history. These presidents were selected by Borglum because of their role in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory. Source: wikipedia, I am not a big fan of the source, but they seem to be accurate in this instance.
