Time for the second installment of this series with a look at six more American-born personalities that made their first appearance on a classic-era US commemorative coin during either 1921, 1922 or 1923.
If you'd like to review Part I of the series, you can check it out here:
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American-Born Personalities - Part I1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial Half Dollar - William Bibb / Thomas Kilby
The first American we'll take a look at is William Bibb, Alabama's first governor. He is depicted on the obverse of the 1921 Alabama Statehood Centennial Half Dollar along with Alabama's then-current Governor Thomas Kilby - the pair are linked in conjoined portraits with Bibb in the background and Kilby up front.
Bibb was born in Virginia in 1781. His political career began with election to the Georgia House of Representatives; he served from 1803 to 1805. He then served as a US Representative from Georgia (1807-13), followed by time as one of Georgia's US Senators (he was elected by the Georgia State Legislature to fill a vacancy created via the resignation of William Crawford).
Bibb was appointed as the Governor of the Alabama Territory in March 1817 (by US President James Monroe, and then became the Governor of the State of Alabama when it achieved Statehood on December 14, 1819; Bibb served until July 10, 1820.
Turning to Thomas Kilby...Kilby was born in 1865 in Tennessee.
Kilby's path to the Governorship was a bit more "traditional." He began jis political life as Mayor of Anniston, Alabama (1905-09), then successfully ran for election to the Alabama Senate, where he served from 1911 to 1915. Kilby next became Alabama's Lieutenant Governor (1915-19) and then Governor; he was in office from 1919 to 1923.
Kilby has the distinction of being the first (named/identified) living person to appear on a US coin.
1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar - Daniel Boone
The 1921 Missouri Statehood Centennial Half Dollar is a coin that features the same individual on its obverse and reverse - Daniel Boone. The frontiersman is depicted via a left-facing portrait on the coin's obverse and standing with a Native American Chief on the reverse.
Boone was born in Pennsylvania in 1734. Over the course of his life, he was an explorer, hunter/trapper, surveyor, merchant, militia soldier and officer, land speculator, debtor (as a result of land speculation deals gone bad) and politician. In time, he became an iconic (if not embellished) American folk hero.
Between 1781 and 1791, Boone served three non-consecutive terms in the Virginia General Assembly; each from a different county - in chronological order, Fayette, Bourbon and Kanawha.
Daniel Boone also appeared on the 1934-39 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial Half Dollars.
1934-39 Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial Half Dollar
Boone again appeared on both sides of the coin, a left-facing profile portrait on the obverse and standing with Shawnee Chief Black Fish outside of Fort Boonesborough, engaged in potential treaty discussions.
1922 US Grant Birth Centenary Half Dollar / Gold Dollar- Ulysses S Grant 
The 1922 US commemorative coin program in Honor of Ulysses S. Grant included two coins: a Silver Half Dollar and a Gold Dollar.
Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio in 1822; he grew up, however, in Georgetown, Ohio.
Grant attended the US Military Academy at West Point (1839-1843), was an officer in the Illinois militia early in the US Civil War (186), was appointed Commanding General of the US Army by Lincoln in 1864, accepted General Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox in 1865 and went on to serve two terms as US President (1869-1877).
1923 Enunciation of the Monroe Doctrine Centennial - James Monroe
James Monroe, the fifth US President, was born in 1758 in Virginia Colony.
Monroe fought in the American Revolution against the British as an officer in the 3rd Virginia Regiment, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates (1782), followed by election to the 4th Congress of the Confederation (the US' governing body prior to the US Constitution - under the Articles of Confederation. He then served as a US Senator from Virginia (1790-94), US Minister to France under George Washington (1794-96) and US Minister to the United Kingdom under Thomas Jefferson (1803-07). He was Virginia's Governor (1799-1802).
Monroe served as the US Secretary of State under James Madison (1811-17) and then won election as the 5th US President; he was in office from 1817 to 1825. (Note: Monroe briefly served as Virginia's Governor in 1811 before being appointed as US Secretary of State.)
Turning to coin's second portrait - John Quincy Adams...Adams, the son of the 2nd US President, John Adams, was born in 1767 in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Adams was the primary author of the provisions that came to be known as the
Monroe Doctrine. Many think that the Monroe Doctrine was a standalone document - like the Declaration of Independence or the Gettysburg Address. In fact, the principles that, as a group, came to be known as the
Monroe Doctrine were statements made by Monroe during his annual address to Congress in December 1823.
Adams, as Monroe's Secretary of State, convinced Monroe to have the United States enunciate the principles that warned against such activities independently vs. making a joint announcement with Great Britain. He also outlined the principles Monroe announced and largely wrote the pertinent section of Monroe's address to Congress.
Adams was a US Senator from Massachusetts (1803-08), US Secretary of State (1817-25) and the 6th US President (1825-29). He returned to Congress in 1831 as a US Representative from Massachusetts (1831-48).
I'll cover the relevant coins from 1925, 1926 and 1927 in Part III.
For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including stories about each of the coins discussed above, see:
Commems Collection. (Note: The "Design Discussions" link for each coin present a linked-list of additional topic threads.)
Posted 01/17/2025 9:07 pm
