half dollar half dollar commemorative united_states half dollar struck bear earlier date known cleveland centennial great lakes exposition half dollar issued mark 100th anniversary cleveland ohio incorporated city commemoration great lakes exposition held cleveland mid-1930s commemorative coins quickly increasing value cincinnati businessman coin collector sought congress authorize new issues sole distributor successful half dollar greatly cleveland piece designed coin approved suggestions sculptor distributed cleveland coins sales exposition local banks mail order office cincinnati sales good authorized struck congress inserted legislation prevent repetition past abuses coins change date meaning collectors purchase piece complete set thousands remained dealer years coins remain inexpensive standards commemorative coins era background area known eastern ohio subject dispute states american revolutionary war claimed territory political rights area given federal government connecticut kept land ownership holdings homes destroyed british war remainder sold moses surveyor lawyer company directors set came bear newspaper called begun editor found character long fit printing form dropped change adopted public town cleveland city prominent cincinnati businessman inherited coin collector came idea commemorative coin control time sold government congress authorizing legislation designated organization exclusive right purchase coins face value public premium result cincinnati music center half dollar issue controlled issued commemorate anniversary exist sold coins issue price high keeping later sale drove price higher market commemorative coins according hot volcano congress gave permission commemorative coins charge public liked friends congress early tried authorize commemorative issues control came fruition cleveland centennial half dollar legislation bill cleveland centennial half dollar introduced united_states senate ohio march referred bill honor 100th anniversary cleveland incorporation city held original bill provided pieces purchased mint time struck operation bill reported committee chairman colorado march drastically amended adams held hearings commemorative coins march heard abuses sought collectors buy coins included getting additional designs authorized case arkansas centennial half dollar having coins struck law required coins bear year striking successive years multiple created varieties coin enthusiasts buy collections complete committee heard oregon trail memorial half dollar authorized struck commemorative coins created intentionally low way prices legislation cleveland half dollar came committee adams struck entire bill clause substituted new version original legislation given cleveland centennial commemorative coin committee controlled discretion new piece struck time course years authorized limit adams new text kept total limit set minimum issued adams amendment required coins single design struck single mint selected director mint provided coins dated struck later cleveland committee purchase time separate report senator adams noted original bill contains certain provisions committee recommends eliminated bill subsequent bills relating issuance commemorative coins bill amended passed senate recorded vote march house_of_representatives received bill april referred weights measures reported house april having amended require cleveland committee purchase coins time eliminating possibility committee order initial fail purchase house considered bill april bill reported missouri emergency measure asked unanimous consent pass amended bill pennsylvania asked bills going considered possible consolidate dozen bill replied consulted ohio informed authority print coins useless following day moved senate house amendments bill signed law president preparation known sculptor engaged design coin roosevelt signed legislation director mint sent sketches submitted commission charged executive order president rendering advisory opinions designs public artworks including coins commission chairman responded ross giving preliminary approval stating members work prepared necessary plaster models representative suggested use stars represent cities region placed map reverse sketches buildings represent sites chicago detroit cleveland buffalo toronto wrote moore report progress moore joked coin having enlarged star cleveland hear read scriptures effect star glory suppose miss big star cleveland refers glory size city voter detroit don mind probably chicago person coins convinced movement coin collector going country models approved commission june new_york reduced models half dollar sized dies prepared design features moses depiction based known portrait unknown artist lines inscription united states america half dollar moses liberty designer initials beneath head reverse shows map region stars represent cities cleveland buffalo chicago detroit milwaukee rochester toronto cleveland gets largest star compass book stated found documentation suspect compass intended cleveland center industry radius approximately miles encompassing authors suggested great lakes cities represented new_york boston washington inscriptions required law appear upper right reverse great lakes exposition surround map early work stated design issue pleasing reverse alike sharply defined interesting crowded art historian work coins medals wrote half dollar manages combine faults found better designs complaining flat design large lettering sides bust moses described commonplace view great lakes large compass short suggested best squeeze required text half dollar better fewer words place production distribution collecting capacity treasurer cleveland committee ordered pieces july shipped struck july addition pieces coins struck set aside inspection testing meeting annual commission arranged place struck individual numbered later placed special cardboard holders statement opened june closed october million people passed gates located acre site shores artistic industrial exhibits usual half dollars sold ohio banks mail order office cincinnati editor commented strange living cincinnati distributor cleveland issue coin quickly sold pieces allowed market times cleveland piece sales strategy different coins aimed exposition visitors general public sent form letters collectors warning committee received offers buy entire issue suggesting act quickly orders end july wrote pieces distributed remaining thousand soon sales good february ordered pieces remained authorized quantity addition coins pieces struck intended commission legislation new pieces resembled old exactly including bearing date produced thousands coin dealers offered half dollars prominent dealer advance face value death auction coin collection declined celebrated 20th anniversary half dollars special design objected destroyed club similar markings 50th 75th government interference coin common commemorative different designs struck guide book united states coins published lists issue depending condition exceptional specimen sold auction
Cleveland Centennial half dollar