Coin Reference Library
Gold Commemoratives

1916 $1 McKinley

Mintage: 15,000
* Proofs known to exist
Designer: Obverse - Charles E. Barber, Reverse - George T. Morgan

This souvenir gold dollar was minted to help defray costs of construction of the McKinley Birthplace Memorial. The Act of Congress of February 23, 1916, authorizing construction of the McKinley Birthplace Memorial, specified that not over 100,000 gold dollars of special commemorative design could be made at the Philadelphia mint only, and that afterwards the dies must be destroyed. Charles E. Barber created the obverse design, which consisted of a portrait of McKinley quite unlike that used on his 1903 dated Louisiana Purchase Exposition coins. George T. Morgan created the reverse. In August and October 1916, 20,026 McKinley commemorative gold dollars were struck at the Philadelphia Mint, of which approximately 15,000 were sold. There are at least a half dozen proofs of the 1916 McKinley (including one in the Smithsonian Institution).

Back to Gold Commemorative Page