Issued to mark the centennial of the statehood of Missouri, the first commemorative half dollar design of 1921 follows a somewhat common theme of the early 20th century. The pieces were struck for the Missouri Centennial Exposition, which was held in August of 1921 in Sedalia, where virtually all state fairs had been held since […]
1920-1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar
The Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar are a well-known classic commemorative coin which was struck to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims in what would later become the United States of America. Struck in both 1920 (the actual year of commemoration) and 1921, the coins provide an instant history […]
1920 Maine Centennial Half Dollar
The first silver commemorative from the 1920’s was issued to celebrate the centennial of Maine statehood. This was the second state to issue a commemorative to mark an anniversary and would slowly start a tradition followed by other states in the coming years. Since the coins were generally sold for a premium over face value, […]
1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar Featured Lincoln
Three years after the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar, another commemorative half dollar was issued, this time for the statehood centennial of Illinois. This coin prominently featured a portrait of Abraham Lincoln on the obverse, leading many to refer to it as the Lincoln Half Dollar, although it is more appropriately known as the Illinois […]
Collecting Modern Commemorative Half Dollars
Although the half dollar was used for the majority of early commemorative coins, the denomination has been used only periodically within the modern era. From 1982 to date, the United States Mint has issued 18 different commemorative half dollars in uncirculated and proof versions. Assembling a complete collection of these coins represents an achievable goal, […]
1915-S Panama Pacific Half Dollar
After the Lafayette Silver Dollars were sold in 1900, it would take fifteen years for the next silver commemorative coin to be released. This was the 1915-S Panama Pacific Half Dollar, which represented only the second commemorative half dollar from the United States Mint. The half dollar was issued in conjunction with the Panama Pacific […]
1900 Lafayette Silver Dollar: A Reminder of History
Prior to the commemorative coins released for the 1984 Olympics, there had been only one commemorative silver dollar issued by the United States. This was the so-called Lafayette Dollar, which was released to the public in 1900 and represented the third silver commemorative coin produced by the United States Mint after the two commemoratives issued […]
1893 Isabella Quarter Dollar
The second commemorative coin issued in the United States recognized the same event as the first, although it was a smaller denomination, served a different purpose and experienced considerably slower sales. This is the 1893 Isabella Quarter Dollar, which is the only quarter dollar commemorative ever issued by the United States Mint. Issued in conjunction […]
Early Commemorative Silver Coins By Geographic Location
Between 1892 and 1954 the United States Mint issued a total of 50 different silver commemorative coins, some with multiple issues, resulting in a total of 144 different coins. Many different subjects were commemorated, but the majority, 36 out of 50, honored either a city, county, or state. This results in a total of 72% […]
Columbian Exposition Half Dollar Commemorative Coin
The very first commemorative coin struck in the United States was the Columbian Half Dollar, struck in both 1892 and 1893. While the 1848 Quarter Eagle struck at the Philadelphia Mint from gold out of California is often mentioned as the first commemorative, it does not necessarily fit into the grand scheme of commemoratives. These […]
