1996 Kennedy Half Dollar - Medal Western Reserve Numismatic Club C/M on 1893 Columbia

Coin Details

Description

This 1996 medal from the Western Reserve Numismatic Club is a counterstamped Kennedy half dollar applied to a host 1893 Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar. The Western Reserve Numismatic Club of Cleveland developed an extensive program of counterstamping various host coins with club dies, creating dual-identity pieces that combined the numismatic significance of the host coin with the organizational identity of the club. The 1893 Columbian half dollar host coin was one of the first United States commemorative coins, marking the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The juxtaposition of a Kennedy half dollar counterstamp on a Columbian half dollar creates an intriguing numismatic object that bridges a century of American coinage history. The 1893 Columbian half dollar, designed by Charles E. Barber and George T. Morgan, featured Christopher Columbus on the obverse and a representation of his flagship the Santa Maria on the reverse. The Western Reserve Numismatic Club's 1996 counterstamping program used Kennedy half dollar dies — itself one of the most iconic twentieth-century coin designs — to create conversation pieces that appealed to collectors of both commemorative coins and club memorabilia.

Rarity Notes

Scarce counterstamped piece on 1893 Columbian half dollar host. Western Reserve Numismatic Club counterstamps are collected as a specialty series.

Cross References

PCGS #923115