1893 USA Columbian Exposition Half Dollars

Obverse of 1893 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar

USA

Reverse of 1893 Columbian Exposition Half Dollar

1893 Chicago World's Fair Columbian Exposition
According the the excellent Wikipedia:

The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair), a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World. Chicago bested New York City, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis, Missouri, for the honor of hosting the fair. The fair had a profound effect on architecture, the arts, Chicago's self image and American industrial optimism. The Chicago Columbian Exposition was, in large part, designed by Daniel Burnham. In essence, it was the prototype of what Burnham and his colleagues thought a city should be. It was designed to follow Beaux arts principles of design, namely, European Classical Architecture principles based on symmetry and balance.
The Exposition covered more than 600 acres, featuring nearly 200 new buildings of European architecture, canals and lagoons, and people and cultures from around the world. Over 27 million people (about half the U.S. population) attended the Exposition over the six months it was open. Its scale and grandeur far exceeded the other world fairs of the time, and became a symbol of then-emerging American Exceptionalism, much in the same way that the The Great Exhibition became a symbol of the Victorian era United Kingdom.

First US Commemorative Coin
This fifty cent (50¢) was the first United States comemorative coin. There were two dates issued, 1892 and 1893.
The Columbian Exposition half dollar commemorative coin, commonly referred to as the Columbian half dollar, was minted for the Columbian Exposition held between 1892 to 1893. It honors the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America.

Designs

Obverse
The coin was originally supposed to be made by U.S.J. Dunbar. His design was based on a portrait painted by Lorenzo Lotto of Columbus in 1512. The U.S. Mint's Chief Engraver at the time, Charles E. Barber, derailed any attempt by Dunbar from producing the coin, and instead took on the project, basing his depiction of Columbus allegedly on a bust made by artist Olin L. Warner.
The obverse depicts a right-facing portrait of Columbus flanked by the legends UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and COLUMBIAN HALF DOLLAR.

Reverse
Barber clashed with exposition officials over the reverse, favoring his own design of the Western Hemisphere covering the entire reverse. Exposition officials wanted a depiction of Columbus' flag ship Santa Maria poised over two globes. Seeking to absolve himself of the argument, Barber delegated the task to his Assistant Engraver, George T. Morgan.
The reverse features a port view of the Santa Maria above two hemispheres flanked by the date 1492. WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION CHICAGO encircles the rim, and the mintage date (either 1892 or 1893) is minted at the bottom of the coin.

We occasionally have a stock of Columbian Exposition half dollars.

Specifications of Columbian Exposition Half Dollars

Date	Denomination	Description	Mintage	Diameter	Weight	Alloy	ASW
1892	50 Cents	Chicago Columbus Commemorative	950,000	30.6	12.50	.900	0.3618
1893	50 Cents	Chicago Columbus Commemorative	1,550,405	30.6	12.50	.900	0.3618

Notes to Table
Diameter = Diameter in millimetres.
Weight = Standard weight in grams.
Alloy = Fineness of silver content.
ASW = Silver Content = Fine silver content in troy ounces.

Prices & Availability

Date	Grade	Availability	Price £	Price $
1893	VF	Ask	£Ask	$Ask
1893	VF	Ask	£Ask	$Ask

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