Featured 1923-S Monroe Doctrine Half Dollar

Want to sent it to daugher in So. Africa

 

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@leeg is one of the originals in Washington D.C?

 

Try sending her this link:
1923-S Monroe Doctrine Half Dollar
or
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/1923-s-monroe-doctrine-half-dollar.335370/

 

Copy the https://...... then paste it into your favorites in your web browser or bookmarks.

 

If you mean the coins? Not that I'm aware of.

 

She's on the rag.........

[he never says this]

 

The history continues:

“President Harding was today presented with the first of the Monroe Doctrine centennial silver half dollars just received from the mint. This action is preliminary to the Motion-Picture Exposition celebrating this centennial in Los Angeles from July 2 to August 5. The presentation took place on the south portico of the White House in the presence of Mrs. Harding and a few invited guests.

Miss Anna Case, well-known concert singer and motion-picture star, presented to President Harding the coin which was struck by the San Francisco mint.

Miss Case was designated to present this coin to the President by Walter J. Reynolds, president of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial Motion-Picture Exposition, and was accompanied to the Capitol by Frederick H. Elliott of New York, eastern representative of the exposition and formerly executive secretary of the National Association of the Motion-Picture Industry, Inc.

The centennial and exposition has the endorsement of every branch of the motion-picture industry including the important producers and distributors and plans are under way for beginning a big drive by all the companies for making the Los Angeles undertaking the biggest thing of its kind ever presented.

The half-dollars are already in great demand and applications have been made for the major part of the allotment. One firm of New York coin dealers has sent in an order for 10,000.”4

4 Los Angeles Times, Monroe Exhibit Half Dollar Is Given Harding, June 7, 1923.

Photobucket is down right now so I can't post President Hardings coin.

 

First Monroe Doctrine coin presented to President Harding came in a plush box made by Tiffany & Co. of purple leather lined with gray silk (box location unknown). Image courtesy of the Ohio Historical Society, #H156.98.

“Plans are being worked out here to present the second of the Monroe coins issued to Gov. Richardson and the third to Mayor Cryer. Prominent motion-picture stars will be chosen to present the coins to these officials. Other coins will be presented to notables in official, civic and film circles.”5

“The Monroe Doctrine Centennial and Motion Picture Exposition which opens in Los Angeles July 2 presents both an opportunity and a responsibility.

And this responsibility lies equally upon the city of Los Angeles and upon the motion-picture industry.

There is a very great significance to the fact that the United States government has issued special coins –half dollars– to commemorate this event: its significance lies in this: that it is the first recognition of the importance and prestige of this enormous and unique industrial art. This significance goes the deeper in that it is a coupling of motion pictures with the celebration of a historical event which is the very foundation of the life of this nation.


4 Los Angeles Times, Monroe Exhibit Half Dollar Is Given Harding, June 7, 1923.

5 Los Angeles Times, Monroe Exhibit Half Dollar Is Given To Harding, June 7, 1923.

The Times has the utmost faith in the motion-picture industry and in the men who are behind that industry. It is our experience and, based upon that experience, it our settled conviction that no modern industry is there a more sincere desire to look forward and to look upward. Motion pictures are, of a necessity, made for profit, but in the minds of the vast majority of producers there is an honest and faithful ambition to make good pictures for the sake of making good pictures and to serve the public in its better moods.

This exposition is the greatest opportunity that has ever come to the motion-picture people to put themselves before the world in the light in which we of Los Angeles have come to know them.

It should be an epochal event in the history of a great and growing institution.”6

6 Los Angeles Times, The Exposition, June 24, 1923.

 

Image courtesy of the Los Angeles Times, June 29, 1923.

“Meet Miss North America and Miss South America! Catherine Kaestner and Marye Daniels, art’s models, are here to take part in the exposition pageantry and display the same curves Chester Beach, sculptor and coin designer, immortalized with the half-dollar minted at San Francisco in commemoration of the exposition.

Miss Kaestner, a dashing brunette, posed for South America, and Miss Daniels, a radiant blonde, for North America. In the adaptation of the map of the western world on the reverse side of the Monroe Centennial coin.

In the posing Mr. Beach depicts the era of good-feeling and understanding which has prevailed between North and South America since the adoption of the Monroe Doctrine a hundred years ago. North America, bearing a chaplet in her left hand, reaches down her other hand to South America, carrying a horn of plenty, in cordial greeting.

Miss Daniels and Miss Kaestner are from Chicago, and since their arrival here have been making their rounds of office buildings with centennial coins and many a greenback has come willingly from the hiding-place in response to their appeal for exposition assistance.”7

“Purchases must be made this week; Leftovers to be Returned to Mint. Resembling some of the Liberty Bond sales, in that the preponderance of buying came in the last days of the campaign, the sale of the souvenir half-dollars coined by the government in commemoration of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial is assuming large ‘closing’ proportions. At first rather slow to get the idea of the thing, the people of Los Angeles are suddenly discovering that this is the only coin ever made by a government, using the actual name of the city wherein the celebration took place. The name ‘Los Angeles’ being prominently stamped on this now famous coin has given the recognition of the government to Los Angeles and its stellar place in the world of citizens.

The result has been a tremendously augmented sale of the coins by the local banks, merchants, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. This week closes the exposition and the government has notified the city officials and the exposition committees that any souvenir coins remaining unsold on the evening of August 4 will be collected and sent to the mint at San Francisco for remelting.


7 Los Angeles Times, Plead For Exposition Aid, Misses North and South America Doing Their Best to Make Centennial Fete a Success, June 29, 1923.


Therefore, it is urged that every citizen and visitor buy some of the coins today. The Chamber of Commerce announces that a quantity of the coins will be placed on sale at the chamber beginning today. All banks and department stores will have a fresh supply.”8

8 The Los Angeles Times, Centennial Coins Go On Final Sale, July 30, 1923.

 

Oh my god. What happened to us

 

Great

 

thanks. Just got an email that she got the info. She replyed. " Where you get this stuff " she dug it

 

“The commemorative Monroe coin has arrived. How it got by the mint officials is a mystery. Its obverse is creditable, but its reverse is regrettable.

Fortunately, the distressing positions of the women of North and South America are clouded and will not dangerously affect the nerves of the feminine world. The scene is pre-creative and biblical—‘the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.’ Thanks to the July issue for the translation of its obscure symbology and meaning.

If ‘Los Angeles’ is geographical, it is incorrect. It should be much higher up the coast. If denoting land to the South, it should be Tierra del Fuego. If chosen for euphony, why not Mattawamkeag?

Even if the ‘force behind the coin’ is the moving-picture industry of Los Angeles, as stated, the dignity and significance of this commemorative coin should not be compromised by any agency.

Bridgeport, Conn., July 14, 1923.

F. A. D.”9

9The Numismatist, The Monroe Centennial Coin, August 1923, p. 356.



Front of the original mailing envelope. Image courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.


“To the President of the American Historical Revue and Motion Picture Exposition from Director-General of the Exposition F.B. Davidson on April 6, 1923, Mr. Reynolds resigning as the Director General.

James Otis, in his masterful address of February, 1761, against the tyranny of England said ‘The only principle of public conduct, that are worthy of a gentlemen or man, are to sacrifice estates, case, health, applause, and even life, to the sacred call to duty.’

The reading of this heroic speech, his resignation of office of the crown and his devotion to the cause he championed have brought me to a sense of shame for the hours of concern I have given you that my pride might be appeased. James Otis has humbled me because he has shown me the littleness with which I have met the confessed persecution from those whose shoes I am willing to blacken rather than see the Historical Revue of my dreams and three years of sacrifice, die a civil death.

It matters little that I have stood before the President and Congress and the Diplomats of Latin America, saying nothing of the honor shown me by home-folks, which I prize more highly, as commissioner charged with missions by you and the Board of Supervisors in connection with the American Historical Revue & Motion Picture Exposition which you and I have pledged our city to present in commemoration of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial: I say it matters little that this recognition has come to me when compared with the honor that will be our City’s when the ultimate consumption of that pledge has been realized.

You and God and I know that the pain and loss of thousands of dollars imposed by those who should have bid us Godspeed are not to be considered in connection with our duty to City, County, and State.

Realizing this, and I do now, I humbly apologize for the letter I sent you with statement attached recently, and, as an earnest of my sincerity and devotion to the Revue and Exposition, I am, hereby, tendering my resignation as director general, to take effect forthwith, in order that those who have been jeopardizing the cause may be stopped from precipitating in a lasting injury upon the good name of our city.

If, in the course of events that must follow, I can be of service to the cause which has received recognition and commendation from Statesmen, prominent Educators and Women of national character, and is, therefore, honoring the fair name of Los Angeles from the Pacific to the Atlantic, I shall count it additional duty and honor to serve.

 

wow. Alexis will get this too. Your so kind. Myself and daughter have been talking about this for 2 days now. She's in so.africa for the UNITED NATIONS. She's deeply into these civil rghts issues. But she did take a break from this to educate me on this topic. God it was fun. Now i get to share your info with her. She might even think i looked this up. I hope you can appreciate what you have done for us. I reward you friendshio and kindness

 

Freadship

 

Friendship

 

Thank you.

I'm only about half way through the chapter. Much more to come.

 

To the Acting Mint Director Mary O’Reilly from M.J. Kelly on July 24, 1923, regarding the Monroe Doctrine Half Dollars.

Replying to your esteemed favor of the 19th, beg to advise that on date of June 6th, 1923 we wrote San Francisco as follows:

‘Please advise us if it will be satisfactory to you, in case all of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial coins are unsold say by September let, [sic] to have them returned to the mint for melting up.

These souvenir coins are being sold at one dollar each and we believe it will be better to have them returned than have them put on the market at fifty cents, in case there are any left over. We do not believe there will be any left over after the Exposition, but we want to be advised so as to know just what steps to take.

Your cooperation in this matter will be appreciated.’

And in reply to same we received the following letter which we quote:

‘I am in receipt of your letter of June 6th, 1923 and in reply to the same I will state that in case all of the Monroe Centennial coins are unsold we will receive them at the Mint for remelting. In connection with this matter I would quote from a letter of the Director of the Mint dated April 11, 1923s [sic]-

‘In regard to the issue of special coins the experience of this Bureau has been that as a rule their sale by the parties interested has been extremely disappointing. In the case of two memorial coins recently issued several thousand coins have been returned to the mint as unsalable. We think there would fee [sic] no impropriety in suggesting to the agents of the Los Angeles Clearing House the prudence of calling for these coins in rather small quantities at first in order that large amounts may not be coined at once an left on our hands uncalled for. As they are presumably to be sold at a premium, in case coins are returned to the Mint they could not, in justice to those who have paid the premium, be placed in general circulation at face value. For this reason I would suggest that the Los Angeles Clearing House take the coins in small quantities at first and that you coin them only as they are called for.’

I trust that you have not over ordered on these coins as in the remelting of the same not only is the original time and labor lost but considerable expense is incurred in the re-melting. . .”10

10 The Authoritative Reference on Commemorative Coins 1892-1954, by Kevin Flynn, published by Kyle Vick, 2008, p. 303-305.


Back of official envelope. Courtesy of Stacks Bowers Galleries.

 

This was true for many of the "old commemorative" series, but not all of it. There were coins that were fairly distributed, like the Iowa half dollars. There were other pieces that were sold to all takers. Then the leftovers were sent back to the mint and destroyed. Still others, like the Monroe and the Columbian were released into circulation.

The big scandals were connected with issued like the Cincinnati, Hudson (really bad) and the coins which were made for years for no good reason other than greed. These include the Boone, Oregon Trail, Texas, Arkansas, Booker T. Washington and Washington-Carver.

 

“SOME OF THE EXCUSES Congressman have given to promote a memorial coin are amusing. For example, on December 18, 1922, when California representative Lineberger introduced a bill to authorize a Monroe Doctrine half dollar, he dilated on how the manifesto had prevented France, England and Russia from trying to acquire California prior to its annexation. For this oblique association, he asked that the Los Angeles Clearinghouse be made sole distributor of the issue.

The clause was retained despite vigorous opposition from Mr. Cramton of Michigan. Speaking against commemorative coinage in general, Vermont representative Greene declared: ‘It seems to me the question is not one of selling a coin at a particular value or at a particular place. The question is whether the United States Government is going to go on from year to year submitting its coinage to this-well-harlotry.’ In tacit reply, Congress approved the Monroe coin on January 24, 1923.

On December 7, while the bill was still pending, Charles Moore wrote to Fraser:

Dear Mr. Fraser: The Los Angeles people1 are planning to celebrate the Monroe Doctrine Centennial. They are going to have a 50-cent piece and have decided that on the obverse shall be the heads of President Monroe and John Quincy Adams; perhaps the two profiles, one above the other. On the reverse will be the western continents from Hudson Bay to Cape Horn with some dots for the West Indies, and some indication of the Panama Canal. The designer will receive $1500, the dies not to exceed $300 additional.

I have told them that I thought you could select the sculptor and have the work done for the Mint in six weeks. They are of course in a great hurry for their coinage, so as to sell the coins. It strikes me that the designs having been settled upon, the models could be worked out quite readily and that a pretty sell thing could be made. Cordially yours.

Fraser engaged another New York sculptor, Chester Beach, to design the coin, and by the end of January considerable progress had been made. On the 27th, Moore wrote F.B. Davison, Director-General of the sponsoring organization:

Dear Mr. Davison: replying to your telegram of January 25th, I am pleased to inform you that the Commission of Fine Arts has recommended that Chester Beach, sculptor, of New York City (a native of California), prepare the design and model for the Monroe Doctrine Centennial Coin. A design, according to suggestions made at the time of your visit in Washington, has been submitted by Mr. Beach, and approved by the Commission of Fine Arts; and pursuant to a request received from the Office of the Director of the Mint, the Commission has requested Mr. Beach to proceed with the making of the model. The obverse design will be as suggested, namely the heads of Monroe and Adams; but on the reverse, instead of showing the continents in relief, Mr. Beach and the sculptor member of the Commission, Mr. Fraser, have thought it would be better to have the map of North and South America in the form of draped figures. The sculptor’s description of the reverse is as follows:

Map of North and South America. North America is in the form of a draped figure carrying the laurel of Peace, reaching to South America, also a draped figure carrying a Horn of Plenty. Their hands to touch at the Panama Canal. The West Indies are indicated. The current of the oceans are lightly shown. Between the dates 1823-1923 are a scroll and a quill pen, symbolizing the ‘Treaty.’ Monroe’s Administration was called the ‘Era of Goodfeeling and Understanding.’

1. The American Historical Revue and Motion Picture Industrial Exposition. Taxay, p. 63.

The Commission of Fine Arts concurs in this suggestion of the sculptor for the design for the reverse of the coin, and believes it will be promising of much better results than the ordinary relief.

The sculptor has been requested to complete the model as soon as possible, so as to avoid any delay in the production of the coins. Sincerely yours.

A comparison of Beach’s preliminary obverse with the adopted design shows differences in the position of the conjoined heads, motto and presidents’ names. The reverses are nearly identical. In the large sketch of the reverse the beautiful allegorical figures are worked out in detail.

On February 26, Commission of Fine Arts secretary, H.R. Caemmerer wrote to Fraser:

Dear Mr. Fraser: I showed the photographs of the model for the Monroe Doctrine Centennial coin to Miss O’Reilly of the Bureau of the Mint on Saturday, and she was much pleased with them.

Miss O’Reilly said she thought a photograph of the obverse and reverse of the completed model would be satisfactory, to save sending the model, with the understanding that the sculptor would make no further change in the model. Would you therefore please have Mr. Beach give you a photograph of the obverse and reverse (two sets if possible) of the completed model as soon as it is finished and send here to the Office of the Commission, together with a brief letter from you saying the model has your approval, so that the photographs can be transmitted to the Director of the Mint with an official letter. Miss O’Reilly said the model would be reduced in Philadelphia, but that the coining would be done in San Francisco. Cordially yours.

In a letter of March 8, Moore submitted a photograph of the completed models to Mint Director Scobey, adding that they had been approved by the Commission of Fine Arts. The prints were further approved the same day by Secretary of the Treasury Mellon. On the 12th, acting Mint Director Mary O’Reilly wrote to Beach:

Dear Mr. Beach: It gives me much pleasure to advise you that on March 8 the Secretary of the Treasury approved the design submitted by you through the Fine Arts Commission for the Monroe Doctrine Centennial Coin.


1901 Raphael Beck Pan-American medal.

It is requested that you forward to the Mint a satisfactory model from which the Master Die will be made at the Mint.

It is understood that the Mint is to be paid by the Los Angeles Clearing House for the cost of reducing the model and that the working dies will be supplied at the Mint for coinage.

A copy of this letter is being forwarded to the Fine Arts Commission. Respectfully.

In an unusual outburst of enthusiasm, Moore wrote to F.B. Davison on March 21:

My dear Mr. Davison: Personally I feel great exultation over the way the model of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial coin, designed and completed by Mr. Chester Beach, has turned out. I cautioned Mr. Beach that he must see it through the United States Mint, so that none of the beauty and charm which he has put into the work shall disappear in the process of minting.


He consulted Mr. Fraser, the sculptor member of the Commission, who has been through the mill many times, and having secured all the pointers necessary, Mr. Beach- went to the Mint and is supervising the production there. I do not know of a memorial coin which for sheer beauty equals this, and I am advising collectors to lose no time in securing copies of it. Will you please give me the name of your agent to handle the coins so that I may direct inquirers where to apply. I enclose a check for $10.00 for ten of the first lot. Sincerely yours.

An interesting addendum to the history of the Monroe Doctrine coin is given in the following correspondence which deals with the origin of the reverse design. On July 23, 1923, Ralph [sic] Beck, designer of the Pan-American Exposition seal, wrote to the Director of the Mint:

Dear Sir: May I call to your attention to the fact that the new silver Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollar has on its reverse side a design and idea which was originated by myself, and which was awarded the prize offered for an emblem by the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901. It was used by the Exposition and its Exhibitors in countless forms, and since by a steamship lines and other enterprises in touch with the two Americas.

The Times, Los Angeles, of June 30 ult. attributes this design to one Chester Beach, and the coin bears his initials.

This is such a flagrant and unwarranted assumption of my idea, that you will understand when I protest against any further credit being given him for it.

You will note from the enclosed cut that he has somewhat varied the lines of the figures, but is nonetheless a copy, and I claim credit for whatever merit there may be in it. Very truly yours.

Beck’s letter was forwarded for comment to the Commission of Fine Arts, and prompted the following reply, on October 17, from Fraser:

My dear Mr. Moore: Very likely you will recall our conversation in regard to the Monroe Doctrine coin. When I saw the preliminary idea, viz. the maps of the Western Hemisphere, I mentioned the fact that they seemed flat and did not seem to convey the idea of richness which I thought would be better, and suggested the use of figures to represent the continents. I spoke to Mr. Beach about it and he carried out the suggestion, but as a matter of fact, I did not think there was anything particularly new or original in using symbolic figures of continents, winds, places, etc. At any rate, I had never seen Mr. Beck’s suggestion until the design was sent to me by the Director of the Mint. Faithfully yours.”11

11 An Illustrated History of Commemorative Coinage, Don Taxay, ARCO Press, New York City, 1967, p. 62, 63, 67, 68.