I was doing some poking around concerning the 1893 World's Fair because I've owned this coin for some time now and just recently discovered some fun facts about the fair that I didn't know before. Do you know, w/o (googling it), the attraction that was the biggest there? Here's a great link with Pics. Rare Photos of the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893 - Rare Historical Photos Here is my coin....
What I found crazy is that most of the buildings were just temporary. I wonder what is still standing today.
I believe the Field Museum is the only remaining building from the Columbian Exposition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Museum_of_Natural_History Another fun fact - "Sales during the fair itself were promoted by such stunts as constructing a model of the Washington, D.C. Treasury Building out of the new half dollars, 20 feet (6.1 m) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) high. These coins were available for purchase, but could not be claimed until after the fair closed. In June 1893, fair authorities had half dollars stacked as a model of the Washington Monument, 22 feet (6.7 m) tall." (from Wikipedia) I got mine from my grandfather. He wasn't born until 1906 so perhaps his parents attended, or it was pulled from circulation. Millions were dumped into circulation when they didn't sell. Nobody wanted to pay $1 for a 50 cent coin apparently.
Correct, formerly the Field Museum. Marshall Field (department store founder) funded the construction.
Here is an original ticket to the exposition. I gave it away in my very first giveaway (#01) on these forums. And speaking of Columbus, and giveaways, and Columbian Exposition half dollars, here's a lot any of you can enter to win in the current giveaway (#132). (3 coins) 1474-1992 Spain & USA: trio of Christopher Columbus-related coins This is a 3-piece lot of coins relating to Christopher Columbus and the European discovery of the New World. One of them is from Columbus' own time. Coin 1 is a circa 1474-1504 AD billon blanca coin of Ferdinand & Isabella, the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, who financed his expeditions to the New World in the 1490s and early 1500s. Diameter: 18 mm. Coin 2 is a United States 1893 silver Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar. Its type is Numista-4396. While this 1893 issue is more common than the 1892 of the same type, this is a handsome About Uncirculated example. Coin 3 is a United States 1992-S clad proof Christopher Columbus Quincentenary commemorative half dollar. Its type is Numista-24510. The San Francisco Mint struck 390,154 proofs of this type. The faint scuff marks seen in the pictures are mostly if not all on the plastic of the mint capsule, not the coin itself. This could be an entertaining and enjoyable lot for students or teachers.
This is a great thread. And don’t forget about Palmer and the women who were well engaged in this event!
