1939-40 New York World's Fair
New York City, New York
The 1939 New York World’s Fair was the first exposition to be based on the future, with a slogan “Dawn of a New Day” it allowed visitors to take a look at “the world of tomorrow.“ It open on April 30, 1939 in Queens with 209,000 people in attendance, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of George Washington’s inauguration as the first President of the United States. Albert Einstein gave a speech that discussed cosmic rays. When World War II officially began in September, five months after the fair open, many exhibits were affected. The Japanese pavilion featured a reproduction of the Liberty Bell, it also featured a photomontage mural with a motto “Dedicated to Eternal Peace and Friendship between America and Japan.“ Sadly this was just a few years prior to the surprise Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. Eight so-called dollars were struck in various compositions for this exposition. The details are cataloged in my 2023 book So-Called Dollars Volume I: United States Expositions. Click on the “View All” link below to see them.