Missouri Centennial – 1921

Honoring 100 Years of Missouri and a Unique Countermark

In 1921 the state of Missouri was about to mark the Centennial Anniversary of its admittance into the Union. Missouri became a state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Legislation for a commemorative coin was passed and signed by President Harding in 1921. The coin was to be sold at the Missouri Centennial Exposition in 1921 and sales of the commemorative half dollar would defray the costs of the celebration.

Sculptor Robert Aitken, who designed the magnificent Panama-Pacific $50 Gold Commemorative coins, designed the 1921 Missouri Centennial Half Dollar.  There were to be two varieties of Missouri Commemorative Half Dollar. One coin would have the countermark – 2★4 – which would symbolize that Missouri was the 24^th state admitted to the Union. The other coin would not have the countermark.

Aitken designed the coin in conjunction with the desires of the Missouri committee and the federal Commission of Fine Arts. Aitken’s design depicted a coonskin-capped bust of Daniel Boone, facing left, with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” above him along the periphery. In front of his bust is the date “1821” and behind him is “1921”. The denomination “HALF DOLLAR” is below him. If the 2★4 countermark appears on the coin, it is in the left field, just below Boone’s chin.

The reverse of the coin has Boone with a rifle pointing out something to a Native American in full headdress. Above them is the legend “MISSOURI CENTENNIAL” and below them is where the exposition took place “SEDALIA”. To the left of the figures are four rows of three five-pointed stars; the same configuration is to the right making for a total of 24 stars.

While 50,028 Missouri Centennial coins were struck, only 9,000 of the 2★4 Countermark coins were sold and 11,400 of the Missouri “Plain” coins were sold. The coins with the 2★4 Countermark were struck first and then the actual countermark was ground off of the dies for posterity and the non-countermark coins were struck. But the “Plain” coins were sold to the public first, even though they were struck last.

At the Missouri Centennial Exposition in Sedalia, the Sedalia Trust Company sold and distributed these coins, but sales were disappointing. Although fewer of the coins with the 2★4 Countermark exist, the two coins are fairly close in price.

This coin comes generally well-struck but obtaining one with attractive toning is difficult. Many tones in an oval on the obverse around Daniel Boone due to the storage holders used to distribute the coins.

 This classic commemorative half dollar is one of only four coins, out of the fifty different types that comprise the Classic Commemorative Type Set, which depicts the same person on both the obverse and reverse of the coin.

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