These coins were manufactured to help fund the Los Angeles Monroe Doctrine Centennial Exposition which was to be held in 1923. The Hollywood motion picture industry sponsored the exposition to divert publicity from several lurid scandals.

Silver, 30 mm, 12.55 gm
Obverse:
Former presidents President Monroe and John Quincy Adams facing left.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA / HALF DOLLAR / IN GOD WE TRUST
MONROE-ADAMS / 1923-S
Reverse:
Stylized figures of women on continents North and South America
MONROE DOCTRINE CENTENNIAL / LOS ANGELES / 1823-1923

These coins were manufactured to help fund the Los Angeles Monroe Doctrine Centennial Exposition which was to be held in 1923. The "Monroe Doctrine" was contained in President Monroe's annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823, which warned European nations against interfering with American or Western Hemisphere nations. By 1922, the Hollywood motion picture industry was making silent films with huge profits and was beset with various scandals. Film director William Desmond Taylor was shot and killed, he reported kept underwear belonging to his "conquests", two of whom, actresses Mabel Normand and teenage actress Mary Miles Minter became suspects in the shooting, along with Minter's mother. Actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle was tried several times for rape and finally acquitted, and there were many other film personalities involved in lurid sex or drug scandals. A number of film personalities died from drug overdoses. The motion picture studios banded together to create an exposition or "world's fair" in Los Angeles, and had this commemorative coin issued to promote the exposition. The exposition organizers picked the 100th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine as the theme for the coin as the coin needed the authorization of the United States Congress and a celebration of the film industry would not get that. The San Francisco Mint made 300,000 of these coins which were to be sold for $1.00 each. Most were unsold and were then issued as circulation coins. The coin's designer was accused of copying another artist's design. The exposition was a financial failure.

This token was manufactured by the Los Angeles Rubber Stamp Company to be handed out at the: Los Angeles Monroe Doctrine Centennial Exposition which was held in 1923. They were then sold to motion picture companies for use as prop coins. The token misspells the word "doctrine" with "doctrone."

Aluminum, 35 mm, 3.87 gm
Obverse:
President Monroe facing half left
COMPLIMENTS OF / LOS ANGELES RUBBER STAMP CO.
Reverse:
Los Angeles city emblem with flag, bear, eagle, castle, lion
MONROE DOCTRONE (sic) CENTENNIAL 1923
STADIUM, LOS ANGELES. CALIF.
CITY OF LOS ANGELES / FOUNDED 1781

For more information on these prop coins please visit: Motion Picture Prop Coins