1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
The 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar is a classic U.S. commemorative coin issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the State of Illinois’ admission into the Union. The coin is sometimes called the Lincoln-Illinois Half Dollar in numismatic circles because 16th President Abraham Lincoln, one of the most notable Illinoians in American history, is featured prominently on the obverse.

The Illinois Centennial Commission lobbied for the coin’s creation following the release of a five-coin set struck to honor the completion of the Panama Canal and a two-year commemorative gold dollar program struck to help fund the construction of the William McKinley Memorial. The Illinois Centennial is the 13th commemorative design issued by the United States but only the third commemorative half dollar. From the 1920s onward, half dollars would dominate the series.

With the support of their Congressional delegation, the Illinois Centennial Commission lobbied for the creation of the coin to help it underwrite centennial celebrations in Springfield and across the state. The Commission planned to distribute 100,000 coins through various bank branches and the Springfield Chamber of Commerce at a 100% markup. Congress acquiesced to the Commission and authorized the coin’s production with a bill signed into law on June 1, 1918.

The Philadelphia Mint struck all 100,000 coins authorized by the Act, plus 58 for assay, in August 1918. Mint Chief Engraver George T. Morgan designed the coin’s obverse, while Assistant Engraver John Ray Sinnock handled the reverse.

Morgan modeled the design after sculptor Andrew O’Connor’s life-size statue of Lincoln, which was unveiled on the grounds in front of the Illinois Capitol on October 5, 1918. O’Connor depicted Lincoln with his head tilted slightly downward. For the coin’s reverse, John Sinnock adapted the eagle from the Great Seal of the State of Illinois.

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1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

In an ad in the December 1947 issue of The Numismatist, coin dealer R. Bart Holmes of Detroit, Michigan, listed a selling price of $3.00 for a Brilliant Uncirculated 1918 Illinois-Centennial Half Dollar. In that same issue, dealer Henry Grunthal of New York also asked for $3.00 for an example from his inventory.

In a December 1974 Numismatic Scrapbook Magazine ad, dealers Frank and Laurene Karen of Silver Spring, Maryland, offered Brilliant Uncirculated examples of the Illinois Centennial Half Dollar for $59 each.

In a two-page ad published in the October 1976 Numismatist, dealer Joel Rettew offered “GEM BU” examples of the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar for $55 each.

Top Population: PCGS MS68+ (2, 11/2024), NGC MS68 (8, 11/2024), and CAC MS68 (1:0 stickered:graded, 11/2024).

• NGC MS68 #545454-023: “Gregg Bingham Collection”; Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2023, Lot 3294 – $11,400. Bingham Collection on insert. Pastel toning around the periphery.
• PCGS MS68 #25628857: As PCGS MS67 CAC #25204944. Heritage Auctions, June 5, 2015, Lot 5562 – $3,760. As PCGS MS68 #25628857. Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 4171 – $17,400. Upgraded by one point. Russet and gold toning along the periphery with two blobs of toning in the upper right obverse field. 
• NGC MS68 #163972-007: Heritage Auctions, July 27, 2002, Lot 5078 – $7,762.50. Top pop, pop two when offered; “The Cary & Cheryl Porter Collection,” Heritage Auctions, May 10, 2007, Lot 2542 – $14,375. Mottled gold and olive toning covering the obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #47459785: Heritage Auctions, August 16, 2024, Lot 5346 – $3,120. Mottled toning in olive, orange, and blue.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #50068675: Heritage Auctions, May 10, 2024, Lot 4944 – $3,120. Faint rainbow toning along the periphery.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #47459785: Heritage Auctions, March 29, 2024, Lot 3637 – $6,000. Champagne hue throughout with scattered slate, gold, and rust toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #38141031: As PCGS MS67+ CAC #80582830. Heritage Auctions, August 12, 2016, Lot 6233 – $12,925. As PCGS MS67+ CAC #38141031. Stack’s Bowers, March 21, 2023, Lot 3295 – $10,800. Blue and orange rim toning. On the obverse, blue toning encroaches upon the right field.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #35685445: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 28, 2022, Lot 31 – $14,000. Gold centers with orange and green toning throughout.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #44539180: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, January 27, 2022, Lot 270 – $9,987.50. Dark rust toning along the periphery of the obverse. Gold and green toning in the interior. Green toning along the periphery of the reverse with gold and rust in the interior.
• PCGS MS67+ #41084276: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, April 21, 2024, Lot 398 – $5,405. Dark rainbow toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #39074612: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, July 16, 2020, Lot 527 – $2,350. Scattered gold and orange toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25667450: Heritage Auctions, April 24, 2020, Lot 4197 – $3,060. Cognac toning throughout obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #02323642: Heritage Auctions, December 6, 2019, Lot 4483 – $3,120. Mottled brown toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #81345647: “The Five Generations of Eby Collection,” Heritage Auctions, January 11, 2019, Lot 6163 – $2,400. Brown and gold mottled toning.
• NGC MS67+* #4631505-008: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, November 15, 2018, Lot 431 – $1,821.25. Golden orange toning throughout.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #34071588: Heritage Auctions, January 5, 2018, Lot 5759 – $4,080. Latte color with scattered specks of brown toning. Dark curvilinear toning streak under LIBERTY.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25348742: Larry Shepherd; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, June 25, 2016, Lot 452 – $7,637.50; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, December 15, 2016, Lot 491 – $5,875; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, August 1-10, 2017, Lot 133 – $4,100. The Larry Shepherd Collection on insert. Lustrous with green, gold, and orange toning at 11 o’clock. Orange toning at 5 o’clock.
• PCGS MS67+ #81633549: Heritage Auctions, February 17, 2017, Lot 5328 – $3,525. Gold and cerulean blue toning along the periphery.
• PCGS MS67+ #25625023: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2017, Lot 6205 – $2,350. Dark red and rust-colored toning across the upper third of the obverse.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25356385: Legend Rare Coin Auctions, September 4 – November 2, 2014, Lot 119 – Passed; Heritage Auctions, August 8-17, 2016, Lot 112 – $5,250. Gold, green, and orange toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #81345647: Heritage Auctions, September 7, 2016, Lot 3251 – $3,701.25. Dusting of olive toning throughout.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25693110: Heritage Auctions, January 6, 2016, Lot 3379 – $2,350.  Scattered brown toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25360165: “The Rolling Thunder 50 Piece Commemorative Collection,” Heritage Auctions, September 18, 2015, Lot 5399 – $2,585. Light scattered toning.
• PCGS MS67+ CAC #25692578: Heritage Auctions, August 14, 2015, Lot 6654 – $5,170. Champagne centers. Flashy. With rust and blue toning along the periphery. Streaks of toning below IN GOD WE TRUST.
• PCGS MS67+ #25045592: Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2013, Lot 2923 – $5,581.25. Dark russet toning along the periphery. Scattered butterscotch toning through the fields. On the reverse, the bottom periphery is toned green and blue.

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Design

Obverse:

The obverse features a right-facing beardless bust of President Abraham Lincoln, depicted with his head tilted slightly downward. Wrapping around the top of the design is the inscription CENTENNIAL·OF·THE·STATE·OF·ILLINOIS. To the right of Lincoln’s bowtie, the word LIBERTY. Behind Lincoln’s head, the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The date 1918 appears in the curved exergue space.

Reverse:

The reverse is based on the Great Seal of the State of Illinois. Here, a boldly drawn eagle stands proud, its left talon gripping a rock and its right talon holding a federal shield. In its beak is a ribbon bearing the words STATE SOVEREIGNTY NATIONAL UNION. In front of the rock and shield is an olive branch of peace. The sun rises out of the east. Atop it is the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. Wrapping around the inside of the rim is the legend and denomination · UNITED · STATES · OF · AMERICA · HALF DOLLAR ·.

Edge:

The edge of the 1928 Illinois Centennial Commemorative Half Dollar is reeded.

Coin Specifications

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