The 1918 Illinois Centennial half dollar sells to collectors above its silver value, and its price follows its grade. Only 100,058 were struck, and the coin is 90% silver. A coin with little wear and original surfaces brings more than a worn or cleaned one, so we grade each coin in person before giving a written offer.
What the coin commemorates
The Illinois Centennial half dollar was struck in 1918 for the 100th anniversary of Illinois statehood. It is the only one of the three Chicago-area commemoratives tied to the state itself. The other two, the Columbian half dollar and the Isabella quarter, came from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Jackson Park.
The same centennial produced a monument in Chicago. The Illinois Centennial Monument in Logan Square, a column topped by an eagle, was dedicated in 1918. The coin and the monument were made for the same anniversary, and an eagle appears on both.
Collectors buy the coin as part of the early U.S. commemorative series, and Illinois collectors buy it as a piece of state history. That demand keeps it above its silver value in any grade. Common-date 90% silver halves from the same year are mostly priced on their silver.
A second Illinois coin often turns up beside it: the 2003 Illinois state quarter. It shows a young Lincoln, the state outline, a farm scene and the Chicago skyline, with "Land of Lincoln" and "21st State/Century". Circulation pieces are worth 25 cents, and only the silver proofs carry silver value, so the two coins are easy to tell apart and priced very differently.
The design: a young Lincoln and the state seal eagle
The front shows a young, beardless Abraham Lincoln. The portrait is based on a statue by Andrew O'Connor and shows him without the beard most people picture. The back shows an eagle standing on a rock with a shield and a banner, taken from the Illinois state seal.
Wear first shows on the highest points: Lincoln's cheek, jaw and hair on the front, and the eagle's breast and wing feathers on the back. When those areas still show fine lines, the coin saw little handling. When they have gone flat and smooth, the coin spent time in pockets or loose in a drawer with other coins.
Check these spots under a lamp with a magnifier, holding the coin by its edges:
- Lincoln's cheek and jaw
- The hair above his ear
- The eagle's breast feathers
- The wing feathers and the edge of the shield
- The banner and the rock below the eagle
- The rim, for dents, filing or solder
| Detail | Illinois Centennial half dollar |
|---|---|
| Date | 1918 |
| Occasion | 100th anniversary of Illinois statehood |
| Front | Young, beardless Lincoln, based on a statue by Andrew O'Connor |
| Back | Eagle on a rock with a shield and banner, from the Illinois state seal |
| Metal | 90% silver |
| Struck | 100,058 |
| Collector demand | Sells above silver value; price follows grade |
Mintage and how it compares
The Mint struck 100,058 Illinois Centennial halves. That is a small number next to most U.S. coins of the era, and collectors know it.
Putting the three Chicago coins side by side shows where the Illinois half sits. It was struck in far smaller numbers than the Columbian half and in larger numbers than the Isabella quarter. All three are 90% silver, and all three draw collectors who prize Illinois history.
To price a coin above its silver, we compare its grade against published price guides, dealer wholesale sheets and recent auction results. Those references track what collectors are paying now, which is why we give the offer at the appointment and put it in writing.
A low mintage tells you the coin is scarcer than an ordinary half of its time. The price of the coin in your hand still follows its grade, so a worn Illinois half and a lustrous one draw very different offers.
| Coin | Date | Struck | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbian half dollar | 1892 and 1893 | 950,000 (1892); about 4 million (1893) | 90% |
| Isabella quarter | 1893 | 40,023 | 90% |
| Illinois Centennial half dollar | 1918 | 100,058 | 90% |
How grade sets the price
Grading runs on the 1 to 70 Sheldon scale, with higher numbers meaning less wear. For the Illinois Centennial half, the price follows that grade closely. A worn coin still sells above silver, and each step up in grade adds to what a collector will pay.
Luster is part of grade. A coin that never circulated has a frosty shine that moves across the surface as you tilt it under a lamp.
That shine wears off the high points first. A coin that keeps full luster on Lincoln's cheek and the eagle's breast sits at the upper end of the scale.
Eye appeal is the last piece. Silver tones over a century, and an Illinois half kept in a paper envelope or album may be pale gold, gray or deeper. Even, natural toning is accepted by collectors.
Blotchy dark spots across Lincoln's face lower what a collector will pay for a coin that otherwise grades well. We check grade and eye appeal together under a loupe, in front of you.
A coin in a PCGS or NGC holder comes with its grade printed on the label, which makes the price easier to set. A raw coin gets graded at the table. Either way, we tell you what we see on Lincoln's cheek and the eagle's breast as we look, so you know how we reached the grade on the offer.
What lowers an Illinois Centennial half's value
Most price drops come from things that happened to the coin after it left the Mint. Cleaning is the most common and the most costly. A coin that has been polished, scrubbed with baking soda or dipped in silver cleaner loses its original surface, and collectors pay far less for it.
Coins kept loose in a jar or box often pick up scratches and rim dents from rubbing against other coins. Some were drilled or soldered for a watch chain or bracelet. Each of these lowers the grade or marks the coin as damaged, though a damaged coin still has its 90% silver content.
Leave the coin as you found it. A dull or spotted coin with its original surface is worth more to a collector than the same coin after a home cleaning. If a spot or stain worries you, point it out at the appointment and we will tell you whether it affects the grade.
- Do not polish, dip or scrub the coin
- Do not break open a PCGS or NGC holder
- Do not store it loose with other coins
- Hold it by the edges, never by the face
| Problem | What to look for | Effect on value |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Hairlines and an even, too-bright shine | Collectors pay far less |
| Jewelry use | Hole, loop, solder or a filed rim | Sold as a damaged coin |
| Contact marks | Nicks on Lincoln's face or the eagle | Lowers grade and eye appeal |
| Rim dents | Flat spots or dings on the edge | Lowers grade |
| Corrosion | Green or black spots sitting on the surface | Lowers eye appeal |
Holders and bringing the coin in
PCGS and NGC seal graded coins in hard plastic holders called slabs, with the grade printed on the label. If your Illinois half is slabbed, keep it sealed. Breaking the holder loses the grade record.
Raw coins often come in old paper envelopes, cardboard holders with a clear window or soft plastic flips. Leave the coin where it is and bring the holder with it. Pulling a coin out by its face can leave fingerprints that stay on silver for good.
Illinois halves often arrive mixed in with ordinary 90% silver halves, Columbian halves and Morgan dollars. Collector coins get pulled out before anything is priced as melt, so a sharp Centennial half never ends up in the bullion pile. Common silver goes on a calibrated scale you can read and follows the live spot price, and the Illinois half is priced on its own line on current collector demand.
Bring a government-issued photo ID if you plan to sell. A single coin takes about 10 minutes to look over, and you get a written offer whether you sell or not. If you accept, we pay the same day.
The Illinois Centennial half in Chicago
Chicago has a monument from the same centennial as this coin. The Illinois Centennial Monument, a column topped by an eagle, was dedicated in Logan Square in 1918 and still stands where the boulevards meet. The eagle on that column and the eagle on the back of the coin mark the same anniversary, and the coin's eagle comes from the state seal of Illinois.
Illinois families bought these halves as keepsakes of their state's 100th birthday, and many never left the state. We find them in Logan Square two-flats and greystones, in Oak Park and Elmhurst estates, and in the bungalow belt from Berwyn to Oak Lawn. They often sit in the same box as a Columbian half or a few Morgan dollars, put away by a grandparent who liked coins with a story.
If you have one, call (773) 241-8624. We call back the same day and set a private, one-on-one appointment, Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Each coin is checked under a loupe in front of you, and you get a written, item-by-item offer.
Accept it and you are paid the same day in cash or by wire. The appraisal is free, and for a large collection or estate you can ask about a home visit.
Ready to sell? See how we handle selling rare coins in Chicago, read about a free coin appraisal, or call (773) 241-8624.