The McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar was a commemorative coin struck in 1916 and 1917. The obverse was designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the Mint, and the reverse by George T. Morgan. The issue was originally proposed as a silver dollar; this was changed when it was realized it would not be appropriate to honor a president who had supported the gold standard with such a piece. Despite an authorized mintage of 100,000, only about 30,000 were minted.
About McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar in brief
The McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar was a commemorative coin struck in 1916 and 1917. The obverse was designed by Charles E. Barber, Chief Engraver of the Mint, and the reverse by George T. Morgan. The issue was originally proposed as a silver dollar; this was changed when it was realized it would not be appropriate to honor a president who had supported the gold standard with such a piece. The coins were poorly promoted, and did not sell well. Despite an authorized mintage of 100,000, only about 30,000 were minted. Only 20,000 of these were sold, many of these at a reduced price to Texas coin dealer B. Max Mehl. The remaining 10,000 pieces were returned to the Mint for melting. McKinley was assassinated by Leon Czolgosz in September 1901, and was succeeded by Vice President Theodore Roosevelt. In the years after McKinley’s death, several memorials were built to him, including a large structure housing his remains at Canton. Another memorial was built at his birthplace in Niles, Ohio, under the auspices of the National McKinleyBirthplace Memorial Association. The Greek Classic memorial, built of Georgia marble and was dedicated in 1917.
Housing a museum, library, and auditorium, as well as a statue of McKinley and busts of his associates, it remains open to the public, free of charge. In February 1915, the Association’s head, Joseph G. Butler, Jr. met with Ohio Congressman William A. Ashbrook, chairman of the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, to propose a silverdollar in honor of McKinly. Ash Brook introduced a bill in the final days of the 63rd Congress, which took no action on it. In December 1915, Ashbrook reintroduced his bill, H. 2 m,000 silver dollars for McKinley, but at a hearing was held before Ashbrook’s committee on January 13, 1916. Originally the bill called for a silver dollars in commemoration of the 25th President of the U.S., but at the hearing, Butler requested that they be gold instead. The gold dollar had not been struck as a circulating coin since 1889, and a gold dollar would be easier to dispose of on the other hand, he said, than a silver one. The bill was passed and McKinley died in office in 1901, leaving the nation in a better financial state than when he took office.
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