Which American President organised the Louisiana Purchase in 1803?
Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar The Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar is a commemorative coin issue in gold dated 1903. Struck in two varieties, the coins were designed by United States Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. The pieces were issued to commemorate the Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in 1904 in St. Louis; one variety depicted former president Thomas Jefferson, and the other, the recently assassinated president William McKinley. Although not the first American commemorative coins, they were the first in gold. Promoters of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, originally scheduled to open in 1903, sought a commemorative coin for
Louisiana Purchase Exposition dollar some $15 million, which paid for some of land. The treaty was signed on April 30, 1803, and, although there was some question as to whether there was constitutional power for such a purchase, the American Senate ratified the treaty on October 20, 1803. The United States took formal possession two months later. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States, and today forms much of the center of the country. Desirous of honoring the centennial of the purchase, Congress passed authorizing legislation for an exposition; the bill was signed by President William McKinley on March 3, 1901.