"1921" Medal Noble Experiment AgDanbury Mint

Coin Details

Description

This silver medal dated 1921 references the "Noble Experiment" — the popular nickname for Prohibition, which began with the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment in 1919 and the Volstead Act taking effect on January 17, 1920. The medal was produced by the Danbury Mint and commemorates or comments upon the national prohibition of alcoholic beverages that dramatically reshaped American social, economic, and political life. The term "Noble Experiment" was popularized by Herbert Hoover, who used it to describe Prohibition's lofty intentions if not its troubled execution. By 1921, the first full year of enforcement, the problems of bootlegging, speakeasies, and organized crime that would ultimately doom Prohibition were already becoming apparent. This silver medal captures a moment when the experiment was still new and its outcome undocumented. Danbury Mint medallic issues from this period are collected both for their numismatic interest and as artifacts of one of the most consequential social experiments in American history. Prohibition was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Prohibition-themed medals are a niche but dedicated collecting area, and silver examples are less common than base metal versions.

Cross References

PCGS #906068; Danbury Mint; Eighteenth Amendment / Prohibition