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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Evan Saltis, post: 7622538, member: 103066&quot;]I’ve been looking for one of these for some time. Most MS examples I found had some ugly brown or black toning (assumptively because of the frostier luster). I’m a fan of blast white silver perhaps with some radial toning, but the color here is very out of character for me. This is literally my dream coin <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> at least for a then-15-year-old this was a big purchase. Now I have one!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1311694[/ATTACH]</p><p><i>Small and poorly done collage by me, using sellers pictures. This coin is rather well struck for the type. The ‘ENN’ in Centennial on the reverse is especially prone to the weak strike. On the other hand, the obverse is fantastic as well, both men have visible faces that do not look like Squidward <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie93" alt=":troll:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> with a worn or weakly struck face and nose. Personally, the face of the man on the left was my biggest qualm with this type. This specific coin is fantastic. Even MS-66 coins seem to have more weakness in the center of the reverse than my example!</i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Some more information on this type, and the purpose it was designed for.</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>&nbsp;</b>Maine was admitted into the Union in 1820, as a result of Missouri’s desire to be a slave state. The Missouri compromise, although creating another state with the atrocities of American slavery, created the state in the heart of all Mainers.</p><p><br /></p><p>The type was designed by Anthony de Francisci, based off of a design by Harry H. Cochrane. They were minted to be handed out at the absolutely fantastic Centennial celebration of the state in 1920 in the city of Portland. However, the coins were unfortunately not received in time, and instead the Maine treasury sold them over the course of many years (although I can not seem to find a date range- 50,028 were minted so I assume it was quite some time.)</p><p><br /></p><p><b><a href="https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/69" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/69" rel="nofollow">Check this out! The official program of events for the parade. Courtesy of the Bangor Public Library.</a></b></p><p><u>Here are some notable pages for quick viewing:</u></p><p><i>Page 21: The centennial committee group photo</i></p><p><i>Page 25: Portrait of first governor William King, and governor in 1920, Carl Milliken.</i></p><p><i>Pages 37-end: A list, with depictions of all floats which were in the parade.</i></p><p><b>Citation below:</b></p><p>______________________________________</p><p>Rogers, William Chapman, &quot;One hundredth anniversary of Maine&#039;s entrance into the union: official program of state celebration, Portland, June 26th to July 5th 1920&quot; (1920). Books and Publications. 69.</p><p><a href="https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/69" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/69" rel="nofollow">https://digicom.bpl.lib.me.us/books_pubs/69</a></p><p>_____________________________________</p><p><br /></p><p><i><b>Some personal thoughts:</b></i></p><p>The Maine state seal has personal connections with me, not just because Maine is my birthplace and my home, but because my earliest memories include my elementary school having a very large Maine state flag hanging. I was always inspired by “<i><u><b>Dirigo</b></u></i>” - which means “I direct”.</p><p><br /></p><p>This word really means a lot, and even though Mainers don’t say “<i>Dirigo</i>” as much as we say things like “wickeeed baby”, or other similar phrases with more obscenity, Maine still lives by the thought that where Maine goes, our nation will follow. Time and time again, that line seems to show its truth, both as the easternmost state (earliest to see the sun), and the values Maine holds close by.</p><p><br /></p><p>I plan to keep this coin for many years.</p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Maine centennial parade, 1920. Photo from the Maine Historical Society, not my image. (Free for educational use) - more info at this link. <a href="https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/40462" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/40462" rel="nofollow">https://www.mainememory.net/artifact/40462</a></i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>(Minor edits made for copyright, and general understandability, Sep 19, 2021.)</i>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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