Q. David Bowers
The special 2X2 notation was made at the recommendation of sculptor and Commission of Fine Arts member James Earle Fraser, who recognized that when Missouri tried a similar trick (see following listing) additional sales resulted.
In modern times it has been stated by some authors that the 1 0,000 pieces struck in December 1921 and earlier attributed as the 2X2 variety were in fact the "plain" style; if this was the case, then the net mintage of the 2X2 pieces consisted of 6,006 coins, and that of the "plain" pieces 64,038. According to the same modern theory, all of the 2X2 variety were sold, whereas 5,000 of the "plain" variety were returned for melting, leaving net distributions of 6,006 and 59,038 respectively. However, the number of extant coins today suggests that these revised modern figures may not be correct, for 2X2 coins are not nearly 10 times rarer than "plain" coins. In fact, in many periods of the market the "plain" coins have sold for more than the 2X2 coins.
Collecting Alabama Half Dollars Most Alabama half dollars were sold to citizens of that state, and relatively few were acquired by numismatists. As might be expected, the majority of pieces in existence today are MS-60 or less with circulated pieces being abundant. In fact, the typical coin encountered is apt to be in Extremely Fine or About Uncirculated grade. Mint State examples are scarce, and coins MS-63 or finer are rare. Nearly all show friction or contact marks on Governor Kilby's cheek on the obverse, and many are flatly struck on the eagle's left leg and talons on the reverse. The Mint did not strike the pieces with care, and even specimens carefully preserved since the day of issue are apt to appear unsatisfactory from the standpoint of sharpness and lustre, although the 2X2 versions are usually better defined than the "plain" pieces. Nicks and marks from the Original planchet are apt to be seen on the areas of light striking. Sharply struck, high-grade Mint State coins are very rare.
Ray Mercer commented as follows concerning the "plain" variety: (A Buyer's Guide to the Grading and Minting Characteristics of United States Commemorative Coins, Vol. I., pp. 1-13.)"The Alabama plain is an extremely elusive coin to locate with the desired harmony of good lustre, a strong strike for the issue, and no detracting marks .... All things considered, it is at least equal, if not more difficult to find, than the lower mintage 2X2 coin in grades MS-65 and better .... In all Mint State levels it is very hard to find with strong eye appeal!" The same writer wrote this concerning the 2X2 : "You will find it an exceedingly difficult task to locate examples displaying good eye appeal."
GRADING SUMMARY: On the obverse Gov. Kilby's forehead and cheek typically show evidence of contact first. On the reverse the eagle's neck and edge of the wing at the top are early points for contact. The eagle's upper leg is often seen lightly struck, particularly on the "plain" variety; in instances of light striking, marks from the original planchet can be seen in this area. Coins were handled carelessly, and most show contact marks in various areas.
1921 Alabama Centennial, without 2X2 ("plain") Half Dollar
SUMMARY OF CHARACTERISTICS
Commemorating: 100th anniversary of the admission of Alabama into the Union (as the
1819-1919 anniversary took place two years earlier, this reason was meaningless by 1921) Obverse motif: Portraits of governors Bibb and Kilby
Reverse motif: Alabama State Seal
Authorization date: May 10, 1920
Dates on coins: 1921 (also 1819-1919)
Date when coins were actually minted: 1921 Mint used: Philadelphia
Maximum quantity authorized: 100,000 (combined for both types)
Total quantity minted (including assay coins): 54,030 (some texts say 64,038) Assay coins (included in above): 30
Quantity melted: 5,000 (presumably of the "plain" variety; no specific records were kept) Net number distributed (including assay coins): 49,030 (some texts say 59,038) Issued by: Alabama Centennial Commission (State Capitol Building, Montgomery, Alabama; Mrs. Marie Bankhead Owen, secretary) through banks and other outlets Standard original packaging: Plain paper coin envelope
Official sale price: $1
Designer of obverse and reverse: Laura Gardin Fraser
Interesting facts: First of the "meaningless" commemoratives, a coin authorized in 1920 and struck in 1921 to celebrate an anniversary held in 1919; Thomas E. Kilby, one of two individuals shown on the obverse, was the first living person to be depicted on a United States coin.
1925 MS-60 $1.25
1930 MS-60 $2
1935 MS-60 $3
1936 (summer) MS-60 $5
1940 MS-60 $3.50
1945 MS-60 $7
1950 MS-60 $9
1955 MS-60 $30
1960 MS-60 $47
1965 MS-60 $65
1970 MS-60 $65
1975 MS-60 $200
1980 MS-60 $1,200
1985 MS-60 $600
1986 MS-60 $265, MS-63 $600, MS-64 $1,550, MS-65 $3,300
1990 (spring) MS-60 $220, MS-63 $560, MS-64 $2,400, MS-65 $8,500
1990 (December) MS-60 $150 MS-63 $425, MS-64 $1,800, MS-65 $5,400
Notes: The average specimen advertised as "Brilliant Uncirculated" during the period from about the 1930s through the mid-1980s was in a grade which today we would designate as AU-58 to MS-60. MS-63 coins were and still are rare.
Published mintage figures should be taken with a large grain of salt, for in practice, Mint State Alabama "plain" half dollars are about equal in rarity to "2X2" halves in the same grade. It may be that the figures given here (which coincide with those published in The Commemorative Coins of the United States by David Bullowa, American Numismatic Society, 1938) and those given elsewhere are all incorrect, and that the production numbers for both varieties are about the same. It has been suggested that the "plain" halves are more common in worn grades; a market study of actual sales transactions of lower-grade pieces might reveal additional information.