SIDNEY — Orders for Shelby County Bicentennial coins are being accepted through the end of January, and will be ordered if there is sufficient demand, said the bicentennial coin committee.
The initial supply of Shelby County coins has been sold out for months.
“With the minting of the Sidney Bicentennial coins, a number of people have asked to purchase Shelby County coins so that they can have a complete set,” Shelby County Commissioner and Bicentennial Committee Co-chair Bob Guillozet said. “As a result, we will be offering the public the opportunity to purchase coins through Feb. 14. The order will be placed if we have requests for at least 25 coins, and the coins will have to be paid for at the time they are ordered.”
“If we do not have orders for at least 25 coins, the money will be returned,” Sidney Mayor and Bicentennial Co-chair Mike Barhorst said. “The cost of the .999 fine silver coins will be $50 each.”
Order forms will be available at the Shelby County Historical Society, Peoples Federal Savings & Loan Association, Mutual Federal Savings Bank, the Shelby County Commissioner’s Office and Sidney City Hall.
Like the Sidney Bicentennial coins, the Shelby County coins were designed by Mary Beth Monnier, president of Creative Marketing Strategies, with input from the Bicentennial Committee.
“Mary Beth used the graphics from Shelby County’s bicentennial logo in the coin design,” Guillozet said.
Guillozet went on to explain that one side of the coin contains the year of the county’s founding (1819) and the year of the bicentennial celebration (2019). That side of the coin also contains the four words that the Bicentennial Committee believe best represent Shelby County: freedom, families, farms and industry.
The other side of the coin contains the names of Shelby County’s current villages and lone city. It also includes stylized images for families, freedom, farms and industry.
“There are a limited number of Sidney Bicentennial coins remaining,” Barhorst said. “We will likely not order more.”
“The front side of the Sidney coin contains the year of Sidney’s founding (1820) and the words ‘County Seat for Shelby County,’” Barhorst explained. “In addition, it shows the tower of the Shelby County Courthouse.”
“The reverse side of the coin shows an image of the Big Four Bridge,” Barhorst continued. “In addition, the number 200 is below the bridge along with the words ‘Gateway to the Miami Valley.’”
Both the Shelby County and the Sidney coins have been minted by Osborne Coinage, the country’s oldest private mint. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Osborne began producing coins in 1835, at a time when the country’s mints could not keep up with demand, and there was little trust in paper money.
The coins come in a protective plastic case. The case keeps the coins from being scratched when handled. The case can easily be removed if the purchaser wants to do so.
In addition, special keepsake boxes are available for $5 each. Each box can hold two coins.
“The keepsake boxes were designed for those who wanted to display both the Shelby County Bicentennial and the Sidney Bicentennial silver coins,” Guillozet said. “There are some who have used them to display both the front and back of each coin, and that works too. It’s just not something we thought of when we ordered the boxes.”
“For those who procrastinate,” Barhorst said, “no additional Shelby County coins will be ordered once Shelby County’s celebration concludes. That last event, the Shelby County Bicentennial Ball, is scheduled for Feb. 22. Similarly, once Sidney’s celebration concludes, no additional Sidney coins will be minted either.”
