31:
68:
commemorative coin in honor of Elgin's centennial that year. Rovelstad hoped that the proposed coin would both depict and be a source of funds for his memorial to the pioneers. Unlike many commemorative coins of that era, the piece was not bought up by dealers and speculators, but was sold directly to collectors at the issue price. Art historian
67:
Rovelstad had heard of other efforts to gain authorization for commemorative coins, which were sold by the Mint to a designated group at face value and then retailed to the public at a premium. In 1935, through his congressman, he had legislation introduced into the House of
Representatives for a
63:
man. The reverse shows a grouping of pioneers, and is based upon a sculptural group that
Rovelstad hoped to build as a memorial to those who settled Illinois, but which was not erected in his lifetime.
47:
in 1936, part of the wave of commemoratives authorized by
Congress and struck that year. Intended to commemorate the centennial of the founding of
74:
39:
21:
30:
56:
69:
44:
60:
52:
48:
17:
72:
considered the Elgin coin among the most outstanding
American commemoratives. (
29:
43:was a fifty-cent commemorative coin issued by the
8:
51:, the piece was designed by local sculptor
40:Elgin, Illinois, Centennial half dollar
7:
28:
45:United States Bureau of the Mint
59:depicts an idealized head of a
1:
92:
34:
33:
70:Cornelius Vermeule
35:
83:
53:Trygve Rovelstad
22:Selected article
91:
90:
86:
85:
84:
82:
81:
80:
26:
25:
24:
18:Portal:Illinois
12:
11:
5:
89:
87:
27:
15:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
88:
79:
77:
76:
71:
65:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
42:
41:
32:
23:
19:
75:Read more...
73:
66:
38:
36:
20: |
61:pioneer
57:obverse
55:. The
49:Elgin
16:<
37:The
78:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
