Commems Collection Classic: Quick Bits 124 - Second Variety Connection

The 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and the 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial Half Dollar are linked by their inclusion of a special mark related to their order of entry into the Union as a State. The Alabama coin includes "2X2" in its obverse field (Alabama was the 22nd State to join), the Missouri coin features "2*4" (Missouri was the 24th State).

The first to suggest such a mark was James Montgomery, Chairman of the Missouri Centennial Exposition Committee. He wrote to Charles Moore, Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) on February 16, 1921 with a suggestion regarding the design of the Missouri half dollar:

"I desire to make the following suggestion, that the star with the figures '24' be shown on five thousand of the coins. To do this the star and figures would have to be raised on the die and after five thousand coins were struck, the star and figures could be cut off and the balance of the coins would be without the star and figures. This would enable us to sell the five thousand for a sufficient profit to pay the expense of model and die, which you price at $1,750."

1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar, 2*4 Variety


As we know, the request was carried out and a portion of the Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollars included the "2*4" mark. The Committee in charge of their distribution, however, did not charge a premium for the coins - it asked the same $1.00 as it did for the "Plain" coins. (See 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial - Advertising A Rejected Design for more of this story.)

On September 21, 1921, CFA member James Earle Fraser wrote to HR Caemmerer, Secretary of the CFA, and stated:

"It occurs to me that information should be given to the Alabama Commission in charge of the Centennial fifty-cent piece as to the way in which the Missouri Centennial coin was marked with a special mark, and five thousand struck and sold at a premium. This might aid them in carrying out their project for the coin."

Fraser's message was apparently conveyed to the Alabama Centennial Commission - who was agreeable - as it also had two varieties of its half dollar coined: one "Plain" and one incorporating a "2X2" in its obverse field.

1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial, 2X2 Variety


So, it appears that James Montgomery, Chairman of the Missouri Centennial Exposition Committee, could be considered the man behind the second variety of both the Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and the Alabama Statehood Centennial Half Dollar. (With an assist from James Earle Fraser.) Who would've thunk it!


For more of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including others about the Alabama and Missouri half dollars, see: Commems Collection.