1918 Half Dollar Pattern - J-2007

Coin Details

Description

Judd-2007, Pollock-2197, is the third and final pattern from the 1918 Illinois Centennial commemorative half dollar program. The existence of three distinct Judd-numbered patterns (J-2005 through J-2007) for this commemorative indicates that multiple design approaches were evaluated before the final configuration was approved. This was typical of the classic commemorative era, when the Commission of Fine Arts, the Mint, and the sponsoring organization often negotiated over design elements through several iterations. The Illinois Centennial half dollar program was authorized by Congress and sponsored by the Illinois Centennial Commission, with proceeds from coin sales supporting the centennial celebration. The final adopted design's depiction of Lincoln proved so successful that it influenced subsequent commemorative design choices, demonstrating that historical portraits could be both artistically compelling and commercially popular on American coins.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. The third Lincoln-Illinois pattern is among the scarcest from this program.

Cross References

Judd J-2007, Pollock P-2197; Illinois Centennial commemorative half dollar; George T. Morgan / Charles Barber (designers); final pattern in the J-2005 through J-2007 series