When James Gill was nine years old, his grandmother gave him his grandfather’s 100-piece coin collection, which included unusual coins from around the world.
Since then, Gill has been an avid coin collector. His favorite designs include those on the 1912 $10 gold coin and 1911 $5 gold coin, which both feature Indian head designs. His oldest coin is a 1795 silver dollar. In his envelope of coins, he has one of the most collectable United States coins, a 1909 penny, which includes the designer’s initials. “They are all works of art,” he said.
For the city’s centennial, he mixed his love for his hometown, Manhattan Beach, with his passion for coins and designed a coin for the city’s centennial – he’s been working on the design since 2008.
Featured on one side of the coin is the Manhattan Beach pier – for which he used a self-shot photograph – and on the other side, a surfer, volleyball player and seagull next to the ocean. “I wanted to capture all of the most of Manhattan Beach as I could on the coin,” he said.
Gill spent about $1,500 to create the dies and another $3,000 to buy the silver and brass. Describing the project as a labor of love, Gill is overjoyed about how the coin turned out. “I had very high expectations and they were exceeded,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, really.”
Gill has deep family roots in Manhattan Beach. His grandmother, a Neptunian for almost 50 years, moved to the city in 1937, and was one of the first hill section property owners.
Residents can buy the silver coins for $85 and the brass coins for $20. So far, Gill has sold about 40 of the silver and 20 of the brass. Proceeds will be shared with the centennial committee.
At the centennial carnival at the Manhattan Village mall last month, Mayor Nick Tell, dressed in traditional garb from the early 1900s, used Gill’s coin to reenact the legendary coin flip that helped name the town.
Two landowners, George Peck and John Merrill, couldn’t decide between “Shore Acres” and “Manhattan” – a coin toss settled the dispute. Of course, Manhattan prevailed. “Beach” was added to the name in 1927 to distinguish the city from other Manhattans around the country.
The Manhattan Beach Fire Department will use Gill’s coin design for a pin to wear on firefighter badges. “They’ll wear it for a whole year,” Gill said.
“It’s a really cool coin,” said Mayor Nick Tell. “I think it’s going to be a great memento.”
To purchase a coin, visit www.MB100coin.com.
