Bullion
Representing the first commemorative coin to sell the full maximum authorized mintage, the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar depicting Abraham Lincoln was immediately popular with collectors and the public. This commemorative silver half dollar would be the first of many issued to mark the anniversaries of states, counties, and municipalities throughout America.
As mentioned, the entire authorized mintage of 100,000 coins was sold with none returned to the Mint for melting. The final mintage is listed as 100,058 to include the 58 coins struck for assay purposes. The coins were sold to the public for $1 each by the Illinois Centennial Commission.
Today, the 1918 Illinois Centennial “Lincoln” Half Dollar represents one of the most popular classic commemorative coins due to the depiction of Lincoln by George T. Morgan.
