Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollars were sold at Camden National Bank in early 1926

Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar

I was looking back through some old newspapers the other day and ran across an interesting item on the front page of the Feb. 18, 1926 edition of The Wilcox Progressive Era.

Under the headline, “CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL COINS,” Camden National Bank President Edwin Walker Berry Sr. announced that the bank had received a supply of Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Half Dollars, the “issue of which was authorized by the Congress of the United States as a recognition of the valor and heroism and fortitude of the Confederate soldier, to assist in the construction of the great monument being engraved on the face of Stone Mountain near Atlanta, Ga.”

Edwin was the son of Samuel Ward Berry Sr., who served in the 10^th Alabama Infantry Regiment during the War Between the States. Samuel fought in a host of major battles, including Seven Pines, Cold Harbor, Second Manassas, Harper’s Ferry, Spotsylvania Court House and Petersburg before surrendering at Appomattox in April 1865. Records reflect that Samuel was also severely injured during the Battle of Antietam, which was the bloodiest day in American military history.

In his 1926 newspaper announcement, Edwin noted that the issuance of the memorial coins was remarkable. “Such recognition on the part of the federal government is unparallelled his history. Never in history probably has a great government authorized a memorial before to enemy soldiery, and it is felt that the South should show a large degree of appreciation of this by purchasing every coin issued.”

Readers could purchase the coins at the Camden bank for $1 each. Fifty cents of that money went to the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Association to assist in building the now-famous monument at Stone Mountain. Only 500,000 of these 50-cent pieces were issued. “One day they will be in great demand and not one can be had when this supply is exhausted,” Edwin said.

Edwin went on to say that the bank’s board of directors had authorized the presentation of one of these coins to every Confederate veteran in Wilcox County, and the coin would be given to any veteran who came to the bank. If they couldn’t come in person, the bank would make arrangements to mail them a coin.

“Let every citizen, man, woman, boy or girl who loves the Grey, and every man who honors valor and manhood wherever found, call at the bank and procure one of these coins,” Edwin wrote.

Research reflects that the Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar was minted in 1925 at the Philadelphia Mint. One side of the coin features a depiction of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The other side of the coin bears the caption: “Memorial to the Valor of the Soldier of the South.”

In the end, it would be interesting to know if anyone in the reading audience still has one of these old memorial coins. One price guide online reflected that the estimated value of a 1925 Stone Mountain Half Dollar in mint condition is between $77 to $15,000.