Louisiana Purchase & Lewis and Clark (1904-1905)

About This Coin

Commemorating two of the most transformative events in American westward expansion, the Louisiana Purchase & Lewis and Clark so-called dollars were produced in conjunction with the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis and the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. The Louisiana Purchase of 1803, in which President Thomas Jefferson acquired 828,000 square miles of territory from Napoleon's France for approximately $15 million, doubled the size of the nation and opened the trans-Mississippi West to American settlement. The Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806 subsequently mapped this vast acquisition, establishing the geographic knowledge that enabled westward migration. So-called dollars from these events feature portraits of Jefferson, Lewis, Clark, and Napoleon alongside depictions of exposition buildings, territorial maps, and allegorical figures representing exploration and progress. The St. Louis fair was one of the largest world's expositions ever held, attracting nearly 20 million visitors, and its medallic souvenirs were produced in enormous variety. Within the National Commemorative & Expo So-Called Dollars series, the Louisiana Purchase & Lewis and Clark grouping offers collectors pieces that connect directly to the defining moments of American continental expansion. A notable auction result reached $1.9K in MS67 grade at Stack's Bowers, with the rarest variants commanding significantly higher prices.