Charles F. Smith or c.smith so called half dollars, SCD and medals

[thenickelguy]

Medals, OK, I got medals. Charles F. Smith or c.smith as his issues are more often referred to.

These have been posted elsewhere by me but not on Nvmis Forvums.

What got me started was a partial set I purchased in a lot. Then I eventually completed this 1947 c.smith So-Called Half Dollar Set

Charles F. Smith was a Boston coin dealer.
At the time Smith's medals were issued, the US Congress was ceasing issues of US commemorative half dollar coins. Smith may have believed he could fill a void in the marketplace by creating commemorative medals that were roughly the same size; Smith's medals were slightly larger at 32 mm in diameter to avoid running afoul of the US Government.
The Battle of Lexington Minute Man, the Daniel Boone, the Lindbergh, the Antarctic Expedition and the Pony Express pieces were all originally issued prior to 1947. Whitehead and Hoag re-struck these medals for Smith from the dies they had used in prior years.

A complete set of 8 that I have in 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 round window holders and a Wayte Raymond Album page that is in pretty nice shape to go with them. I opted not to use the album page but keep it along with these medals.

Then I discovered other similar medals which turned out to be the 1948 c.smith So-Called Half Dollar Set

Complete set of the four
50th Anniversary Spanish American War Medals

I have two sets of these plus a few extra Roosevelts. One set is in a Capital Plastics holder.

Then I started to hunt for the previously issued examples and have added these. I am missing the Minute Man & Daniel Boone issues in gilt or bronze and have never seen any. Perhaps they were struck in white metal and it is impossible to differentiate them from c.smith issues? I am not sure they exist, but I continue to look for much more scarce gilt and bronze versions of the same medals that appeared in the 1947 and 1948 c.smith so-called half dollar series.

I have 5 obviously different medals that were struck with the Whitehead Hoag dies and possibly before Charles E. Smith of Boston MA produced his sets in 1947 and 1948.

PONY EXPRESS DIAMOND JUBILEE 1860-1935 gilt
LINDBERGH - NY TO PARIS 1927 gilt
LINDBERGH - NY TO PARIS 1927 bronze
R. BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION 1928-1930 gilt
T. EDISON CENTENNIAL 1847-1947 gilt
plus an unusual
1948 WILLIAM T.SAMPSON 1898-1948 gilt

(I have seen the Edison in bronze and also with several different reverses.)
Seen below, it is a whole other opened can of worms.

They (so far) include:

1939 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Edison Primary Batteries 50 years 1889-1939
1947 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Crescent Temple Trenton NJ
1947 Thomas A. Edison Gilt Salaam Temple Newark NJ
1947 Thomas A. Edison Copper-Nickel (c.smith) Centennial 1847-1947
1947 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Centennial 1847-1947
1947 Thomas A. Edison Gilt Centennial 1847-1947
1947 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Centennial General Electric Co. Lamp Dept
1947 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Centennial Roland Electrical Co. Baltimore
1947 Thomas A. Edison Bronze Central Illinois Light Co.

I am always on the lookout for another reverse discovery. If there are more to find, they are hiding in a good place.

Next post is about c.smith later issues.

[thenickelguy]

So here is part II

There are 3 known So-Called Dollars, I only have one and passed up on a the other two because of the crazy high prices and less than acceptable condition. I am not giving up though. I think there are only four medal issues.

They are:
HK-506 Paul Revere Dollar
HK-506a Telephone Diamond Jubilee Dollar
HK-506b Middlebury College Dollar

I have the HK-506 Paul Revere. This one came from Barcelona, Spain.

I stumbled across this much more scarce medal. It is too large to qualify as a so-called dollar. I noticed the "AMERICAN COMMEMORATIVE SOCIETY" and did more research. Sure enough, it belongs with me and my collection.

Ben Franklin
Anniversary of Kite Flying
American Commemorative Society 1952
Possibly HK-506c ?

 

This one is rare, probably a smaller mintage than my Paul Revere American Patriots Series So-Called Dollar issue and they are related to my c.smith So-Called Half Dollar collection. I've only ever saw one other on the internet.

This 50mm Bronze medal is uncirculated and appears to include the original box.
This medal was issued by the American Commemorative Society, which was the trade name of Charles F. Smith of Boston MA and is mentioned in the Hibler-Kappen book of So-Called Dollars. It does not have an HK number, but is listed as a product of Charles Smith around 1950-52.

The obverse reads BENJAMIN FRANKLIN/FOUNDER OF AN AMERICAN/ INSTITUTION below a bust of Franklin. 1706 American Patriots Series 1790.

The reverse reads 1752 ANNIVERSARY OF KITE FLYING 1952 AMERICAN COMMEMORATIVE SOCIETY with what appears to be Franklin flying a kite with onlookers. There is lightning in the sky.

The edge is marked HOLLAND (probably struck in Holland as other Charles Smith medals were struck in London) and the artist Dom.Pol is marked in the field on both sides.

 

The box is marked:

from OLD SOUTH ASSOCIATION

Old South Meeting House

Washington St. Boston

 

[Qcumbor]

That's something new to me, thanks for the writeup and pictures.

Interesting

Q

[ChrisB]

I was able to pick up the entire 1947 in NGC holders for less the cost of grading fees. It kind of shocked me. Below are a few of them.

 

[thenickelguy]

51 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

I was able to pick up the entire 1947 in NGC holders for less the cost of grading fees. It kind of shocked me. Below are a few of them.

 

Superb examples ChrisB!

In my "other" set of 1948, two of those are graded.

[thenickelguy]

I'd like to find examples of these in gilt or bronze. Never saw any and they may not exist.

I photoshopped this image for it to appear with two gilt 47's.

 

By the way, the other two larger bronze so-called dollars look like this which I DO NOT HAVE

HK-506a Telephone Diamond Jubilee Dollar
HK-506b Middlebury College Dollar

Edited October 24, 2022 by thenickelguy