1904 St. Louis World’s Fair Pressed Penny

Every time I go somewhere and see a pressed penny souvenir machine, I dig for 2 quarters and a shiny penny. I’ve done this ever since I was a kid. It began as a child’s fascination … sometimes a challenge to crank the machine … and is now something I love adding to my collection. I have pressed pennies from all over the US and a couple pressed coins from Germany.

Imagine my surprise one day as I was exploring my great-grandma’s cedar chest and discovered a pressed penny from the 1904 World’s Fair! It was tucked into a small pouch that my great-grandpa, Charley Jones, carried during his time in the military.  

I was stunned, to say the least. 

The 1904 World’s Fair

The Louisiana Purchase Expedition – also known as the St. Louis World’s Fair – was held in St. Louis, Missouri from April to December 1904, in the area now known as Forest Park. Its name was chosen as a centennial celebration of the Louisana Purchase in 1803.

At the time of the World’s Fair, Charley was 19 years old and living in Benton, Kentucky. Today, Benton is about a 3-hour drive to St. Louis by the interstate. I’m not at all sure how Charley traveled to the Fair in 1904, but likely by horse or wagon … at that time, Benton was a rural community. Well, most of this area was rural! 

The Penny

The Indian head penny has the image of Festival Hall stamped on one side and is, from what I can tell, a rare item these days. 

We’re well over 100 years later and my penny has remained safely tucked away with Charley’s things. 

Festival Hall was demolished after the conclusion of the fair, but many of the permanent structures still stand in Forest Park. 

I have many heirlooms from both sides of my family. This is certainly one of my favorites … I think because it connects me in a more personal way to a man I’ve only met through stories. I would love to have heard from him all about his adventure to the 1904 World’s Fair.