1921 50C Missouri Silver Commemorative NGC MS65

Here’s a toned example of this classic commemorative half dollar, one that would be an excellent addition to your collection. NGC has graded 294 as MS65 with 84 finer. Collectors Universe prices this issue at $1,500.00 in MS65.

Missouri was admitted to the Union as a slave state with the passing of the Missouri Compromise in 1821. To commemorate the centennial of Missouri’s statehood, the Missouri Centennial Exposition Committee planned an Exposition and State fair in Sedalia, the first capital. To help fund the festivities, the Committee sought the striking of a commemorative coin to help cover expenses. Congress authorized the production of up to 250,000 Missouri Centennial half dollars. Robert Aitken was selected to design the Missouri coin.

The obverse portrays Daniel Boone in profile. The reverse design shows a frontiersman pointing westward with an American Indian at his side. They are surrounded by twenty-four stars, for Missouri was admitted as the twenty-fourth state. The coin is in high relief, thereby giving these coins an almost medal-like quality. There were 50,000 Missouri half dollars struck at the Philadelphia Mint in July of 1921.

A depiction of Daniel Boone in an 1820 portrait by Chester Harding. This is the only known portrait rendered of the pioneer and frontiersman during his lifetime. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

Of those, 5,000 specimens had a marking to the left of Boone on the obverse: an incuse star with numbers 2 and 4 surrounding it. That signifies Missouri being the 24^th state in the United States. Writes NGC Coin Explorer, “The entire purpose of this marking was to increase sales as it was a variety collectors would want. Due to this, most of those with the 2*4 were sold to collectors, and today, they are nearly of the same rarity in upper grades. In the ends, 29,600 of the non-2*4 variety coins were melted, leaving a net mintage of 15,400 for those, and 5,000 with the special notation.”