In 1981, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Shadow, Walter Gibson had some "Shadow Dollars" designed and printed. He handed them out to friends and fans alike, often signing them with his famous "Walter Gibson/Maxwell Grant" double autograph. This was a promotional gimmick to help keep The Shadow alive in the public eye.
The Shadow paperback and hardback reprints were faltering in 1981. The Jove paperback series of Shadow reprints had been discontinued in April of 1978, because of an alleged conflict with a proposed major motion picture of The Shadow. Both Gibson and his reading audience wanted more of The Shadow, but the publisher disagreed. This was a serious blow to continued interest in The Shadow. To keep up interest in the character, and keep the possibilty of future paperback reprints alive, Gibson produced these "Shadow Dollars."
During the several years following the cancellation of the Jove paperback series, several things were done to keep The Shadow before the public. Walter Gibson completed his printed history of The Shadow, and in 1979, Jove's parent company Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich published it: "The Shadow Scrapbook." And at the same time, Doubleday was continuing its hardback Crime Club editions of The Shadow, each reprinting two pulp novels.
In a last-ditch effort, and to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of The Shadow, Doubleday published what was to be their final Crime Club reprint of two Shadow tales, "Jade Dragon" and "House of Ghosts." And it was at this same time that these "Shadow Dollars" were printed and distributed. The effort, unfortunately, was for naught. There was only one more book of Gibson's Shadow stories printed after this: "The Shadow and the Golden Master" published by The Mysterious Press in 1984.
Walter B. Gibson died the following year on December 6, 1985 following a stroke and a period of hospitalization. When his estate was auctioned on April 6, 1996, a few of the original "Shadow Dollars" were among the promotional items up for bid.
It is not known who did most of the artwork on the bill. But the illustration of The Shadow is the work of the famed Shadow artist Frank Hamilton.
On the front of the bill, you'll notice a series of circular symbols. This was one of Walter Gibson's favorite secret codes. It first appeared in his Shadow mystery "Chain of Death" which was published in the July 15, 1934 issue of The Shadow Magazine. You can probably guess what the decoded symbols spell.
Also on the front, you'll see The Shadow's famous girsol ring. This is the mysterious fire opal ring that he wore on the third finger of his left hand. In his earlier adventures, he often used this transluvent, color-changing jewels as a means of identification. In later years, he began to wear the ring more openly when disguised as Lamont Cranston.
Below is a scanned copy of an exact replica of that famous promotional piece used by Walter Gibson to sustain interest in his most famous character, The Shadow!
Interest in The Shadow has been rekindled in recent year. This has been partly due to the 1994 Shadow feature film, its release on video and DVD, and its replay on cable TV. Also fueling the revived interest is the increased awareness among collectors of old pulp magazines generally, and hero pulps like The Shadow in specific. At various pulp shows, comic book shows, and nostalgia shows, proof can be seen in the skyrocketing prices that such pulps are currently demanding.
The Interent has had a definite effect on the resurgence of interest in The Shadow. There are a myriad of web sites devoted to pulp magazines, many specifically aimed at The Shadow. On-line aution sites such as eBay continually off old Shadow pulp as well as 1960's and 1970's paperback reprints, at seemingly ever-increasing prices.
And finally, let's not forget the e-texts that can be downloaded from the Internet for free. These continue to bring the mysterious adventures of The Shadow to pulp fans and the public at large. Walter Gibson would be proud. ^.^
I would like to personally thank John Olsen for this information on The Shadow Dollar and furnishing a copy for me.