The 1918 Illinois Centennial "Lincoln" Half Dollar is now among the most well-liked vintage commemorative coins. This is due to George T. Morgan's portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. It has become the most popular of the classic commemorative coins.

George Thomas Morgan (November 24, 1845 – January 4, 1925) was a United States Mint engraver who is famous for designing many popular coins, such as the Morgan dollar, the reverse of the Columbian Exposition half dollar, and the reverse of the McKinley Birthplace Memorial gold dollar¹.

1918 Illinois Centennial Silver Half Dollar

The Illinois Centennial Half Dollar was issued in 1918 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the entry of Illinois into the Union.

The heroic statue of President Lincoln, which was unveiled in Springfield, Illinois, in August 1918, is depicted in low relief on the obverse design. American sculptor Andrew O'Connor was the maker of the statue. The coin's obverse was designed by George Morgan. The obverse inscriptions include CENTENNIAL OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, IN GOD WE TRUST, LIBERTY, and 1918.

The Illinois state seal features a bald eagle holding a banner in its beak with the state motto, “State Sovereignty, National Union” written on it. The words, “Seal of the State of Illinois” and “Aug. 26, 1818,” are contained in the outer circle of the seal (August 26, 1818, is the date that the first Illinois Constitution was signed).²

It was designed by John Sinnock.

Sinnock was the designer of the Roosevelt dime and Franklin half dollar, among other U.S. coins. His initials can be found at the base of the Roosevelt and Franklin busts.³

Abraham Lincoln, featured on the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar, became an instant hit with collectors and the general public. It was the first commemorative currency to sell the entire permitted mintage of 100,000 coins. Not a single coins was returned to the U.S.Mint for melting!

The Illinois Centennial Commission sold the coins to the public for $1.

In honor of the anniversaries of states, counties, and towns across America, this commemorative silver half dollar would be the first of many to be released.

The going price for an MS65 is $8,329.00⁴

but I'll settle for this one⁵:

Almost! We're almost there! One more coin to make TWELVE COINS on my Christmas list Thank you, @silverd510! And thank you for your patience!

Reference
https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/commemorative-coins/illinois-centennial-half
¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_T._Morgan
²https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/illinois/state-seal/seal-illinois
³https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Sinnock
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces4397.html
⁴https://www.apmex.com/product/288892/1918-lincoln-illinois-centennial-half-dollar-ms-67-pcgs-cac
⁵https://www.apmex.com/product/43118/1918-lincoln-illinois-centennial-half-dollar-ms-65-pcgs

😍#ilikeitalot!😍

Gold and Silver Stacking is not for everyone. Do your own research!

If you want to learn more, we are here at the Silver Gold Stackers Community. Come join us!

Thank you for stopping by to view this article.

I hope to see you again soon!

I post an article daily. I feature precious metals every other day, and on other days I post articles of general interest. Follow me on my journey to save in silver and gold.