4023

[L#4023] 1892 Columbian 50c NGC MS67*

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1,250.00 USD Estimated At:5,000.00 - 7,000.00 USD
[L#4023] 1892 Columbian 50c NGC MS67*
This lovely Gem is finished in satin luster with glowing fields and sharply impressed devices; rings of gold and silvery blue iridescence hug the rim. Struck with controlled precision throughout.

Issued for the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in May to October 1893. The origins of the World's Columbian Exposition can be seen in the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia event marked the first large-scale event of this kind in the United States. As early as 1880, advocates argued that a special exposition should mark the 400th anniversary of Columbus sailing to the New World. By 1888, the movement gained enough thrust to begin being taken seriously by the public, and by government officials. Early on, St. Louis was a leader for the site location. By 1889, public opinion and individual efforts had thrown enough support to launch the new exposition. Contenders for the massive exposition site included St. Louis, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D. C. In an effort to woo the U. S. Congress to select their city, Chicago businesses raised $5,000,000 to pledge to the fair, and promised to double the amount if Chicago was selected. After eight ballots, Congress finally selected Chicago as the site, by a vote of 157 for Chicago, 107 for New York, 25 for St. Louis, and 18 for Washington, D. C. The fair was considered the greatest event of its kind in history.