The 100th Anniversary of Ulysses S Grant’s Birth
The Centennial of the birth of General (and President) Ulysses S Grant was approaching as 1921 was ending. The legislation was passed to preserve Grant’s birthplace and it would be paid for by the sale of both silver half-dollar commemorative coins and gold one-dollar coins. The two coins were supplemented by additional varieties also having a small incuse five-pointed star on the obverse of some of these coins.
Congress authorized that 10,000 gold dollars be struck and not more than 250,000 silver half dollars. The Grant Commission asked the Mint to strike 5,000 of the gold dollars with the star and the Mint complied and also struck 5,000 of the silver half dollars with the incused star as well. Thus a collector would need to buy four separate coins to complete his set.
Now that the legislation was passed, the coin needed to be designed. The Commission of Fine Arts was led by its sculptor-member James Earle Fraser, who had designed the Buffalo Nickel, was asked to suggest a sculptor who would be able to complete these designs and would do a job of which they would be proud. Fraser selected his wife, Laura Gardin Fraser, who had just completed the 1921 Alabama Commemorative Half Dollar.
Laura Fraser, pleased at being selected to design the coins, went to work immediately. She created models for both the half dollar and the one-dollar gold coin that were identical, except in naming the denomination. The full Commission of Fine Arts committee approved both models. Fraser studied Grant’s portrait by using a photograph of Grant taken by the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.
The designs were in accordance with what the CFA and the US Mint wanted. The obverse of the half dollar has a profile of Grant, in a military coat, facing right. Around the top of the obverse, the periphery is “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and the denomination “HALF DOLLAR” on the bottom of the obverse periphery. The name “ULYSSES S” is behind Grant’s portrait in two lines, while his last name “GRANT” is to the right, in front of his portrait. On the STAR variety, there is a small five-pointed incuse star above “GRANT”. Fraser used her middle initial (maiden name) “G” as the designer’s initials at the base of the bust.
The reverse depicts Grant’s birthplace with a wooden fence around it and trees. The motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” surmounts the top periphery and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” is to the left side of the field. The Gold Dollar design is exactly the same except for the size and stated denomination.
The Mint struck and the Grant Memorial Commission sold 67,405 of the plain variety of half dollars. They also sold 4,256 silver half dollars with the Star variety. For the Gold Dollars, they struck and sold 5,016 of each for the Plain and Star varieties.
The mintages for all four coins are as displayed below.
| Date | Type | Mintage | AU Value | Unc Value |
| 1922 | Grant Half | 67,405 | $110 | $1,000 |
| 1922 | Grant Half Star | 4,256 | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| 1922 | Grant Dollar | 5,016 | $1,000 | $2,400 |
| 1922 | Grant Dollar Star | 5,016 | $1,250 | $2,500 |
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