Boone Bicentennial – 1934 – 1938

Learn About the 16 Types of 1934-1938 Boone Centennials

The Kentucky Daniel Boone Bicentennial Commission promoted the idea of a commemorative half dollar to honor the 200^th anniversary of the birth of the frontiersman. Boone remains an iconic American hero having been a farmer, trapper, American militiaman during the Revolutionary War, trader, businessman, and politician. His exploits in opening up Kentucky, Ohio, and Missouri are legendary. The coin received Congressional approval and was signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt.

The commission hired Henry Augustus Lukeman to make numerous sketches for the potential design of the coin.  Lukeman was best known for taking over the design phase of the Stine Mountain project after Gutzon Borglum was fired. Lukeman made numerous sketches showcasing Boone but none of them pleased the commission. Finally, Lukeman delivered sketches that the Commission did approve and he went to work on making the models.

Lukeman designed the obverse of the coin to have a portrait of Boone, facing left, in frontiersman’s buckskins. Above his head is “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and below his portrait is the denomination “HALF DOLLAR.” The reverse has a full-length portrait of Boone meeting with “Blackfish” the War Chief of the Chillicothe band of the Shawnee tribe. Above them are “IN GOD WE TRUST” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” under that. To the right is “1934 PIONEER YEAR” and to the left is “DANIEL BOONE BICENTENNIAL.” At the bottom is the year in which the coins were struck.

The coins cost the Commission $.50 each and were sold for $1.00 each. The profits were split between the Daniel Boone Bicentennial Commission and the Pioneer National Monument Association.

In the initial year, of 1934, 10,007 coins were struck at Philadelphia. Beginning in 1935, the coins were struck at all three mints, and in 1934 remained on the reverse. But this was done to create additional revenue but the outcry demanded that the “1934” date be removed. 1935 with 1934 dated coins saw 10,008 coins struck in Philadelphia, and 2,003 and 2,004 respectively at the Denver and San Francisco mints.

Later in 1935, the 1934 date was removed from the reverse and 10,010 coins were struck at Philadelphia and 5,005 each at Denver and San Francisco. In 1936, 1937 and 1938 coins were struck at all three mints but the mintages all dropped considerably due to lackluster sales. 

C. Frank Dunn was named the Official Distributor of the coins and he operated out of the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky. Coin holders and envelopes bearing his name can be located as he was the Official Distributor of these coins.

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