Early United States commemorative coins

York commemorative half dollar, obverse

Norfolk commemorative half dollar, reverse

The Early United States commemorative coins traditionally begins with the 1892 Columbian Half dollar and extends through the 1954 Booker T. Washington issue. The profits from the sale of commemorative coins was often used to fund a specific project. Commemorative coins were a money raising mechanism that provided an alternative to raising taxes.

25 Cents Silver (mintage)

• Columbian Exposition 1893 (24,124)

50 Cents Silver (mintage)

• Columbian Exposition
  • 1892 (950,000, including about 100 proof coinage.)
  • 1893 (1,550,405, including about 100 proofs.)
• Panama-Pacific Exposition 1915-S (27,134)
• Lincoln/Illinois Centennial 1918 (100,058)
• Maine Centennial 1920 (50,028)
• Pilgrim Tercentenary
  • 1920 (152,112)
  • 1921 (20,053)
• Missouri Centennial 1921
  • 1921 (15,428)
  • 1921 2x4 (5,000)
• Alabama Centennial 1921
  • 1921 (59,038)
  • 1921 2x2 (6,006)
• Grant Memorial
  • 1922 (67,405)
  • 1922 with star (4,256)
• Monroe Doctrine Centennial 1923-S (274,077)
• Huguenot/Walloon Tercentenary 1924 (142,080)
• Lexington and Concord Sesquicentennial 1925 (162,013)
• Stone Mountain Memorial 1925 (1,314,709)
• California Diamond Jubilee 1925-S (86,594)
• Fort Vancouver Centennial 1925 (14,994)
• Sesquicentennial of American Independence 1926 (141,120)

Sesquicentennial of American Independence Half Dollar

• Oregon Trail Memorial
  • 1926 (PS) (47,955, 83,055)
  • 1928 (6,028)
  • 1933-D (5,008)
  • 1934-D (7,006)
  • 1936 (PS) (10,006, 5,006)
  • 1937-D (12,008)
  • 1938 (PDS) (6,006, 6,005, 6,006)
  • 1939 (PDS) (3,004, 3,004, 3005)
• Vermont Sesquicentennial 1927 (28,162)
• Hawaiian Sesquicentennial 1928 (10,008, including 50 proofs.)
• Maryland Tercentenary 1934 (25,015)
• Texas Centennial Half Dollar
  • 1934 (61,463)
  • 1935 (PDS) (9,996, 10,007, 10,008)
  • 1936 (PDS) (8,911, 9,039, 9,055)
  • 1937 (PDS) (6,571, 6,605, 6,637)
  • 1938 (PDS) (3,780, 3,775, 3,814)

Boone half dollar, obverse

Boone half dollar, reverse

• Daniel Boone Bicentennial
  • 1934 (10,007)
  • 1935 (PDS) (10,010, 5,005, 5,005)
  • 1935/34 (PDS) (10,008, 2,003, 2,004)
  • 1936 (PDS) (12,012, 5,005, 5,006)
  • 1937 (PDS) (9,810, 2,506, 2,506)
  • 1938 (PDS) (2,100, 2,100, 2,100)
• Connecticut Tercentenary 1935 (25,018)
• Arkansas Centennial
  • 1935 (PDS) (13,012, 5,005, 5,006)
  • 1936 (PDS) (9,660, 9,660, 9,662)
  • 1937 (PDS) (5,505, 5,505, 5,506)
  • 1938 (PDS) (3,156, 3,155, 3,156)
  • 1939 (PDS) (2,104, 2,104, 2,105)
• Arkansas-Robinson 1936 (25,265)
• Hudson, New York Sesquicentennial1935 (10,008)
• San Diego, California Pacific Exposition
  • 1935-S (70,132)
  • 1936-D (30,092)
• Old Spanish Trail 1935 (10,008)
• Rhode Island Tercentenary 1936 (PDS) (20,013, 15,010, 15,011)
• Cleveland/Great Lakes Exposition 1936 (50,030)
• Wisconsin Territorial Centennial 1936 (25,015)
• Cincinnati Music Center 1936 (PDS) (5,005, 5,005, 5,006)
• Long Island Tercentenary 1936 (81,826)
• York County, Maine Tercentenary 1936 (25,015)
• Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial 1936 (25,015)
• Lynchburg, Virginia Sesquicentennial 1936 (20,013)
• Elgin (Ill.) Centennial 1936 (20,015)
• Albany, New York Charter 1936 (25,013)
• San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge 1936-S (71,424)
• Columbia, South Carolina Sesquicentennial 1936 (PDS) (9,007, 8,009, 8,007)
• Delaware Tercentenary 1936 (20,993)
• Battle of Gettysburg 1936 (26,928)
• Norfolk, Virginia Bicentennial 1936 (16,936)
• Roanoke Island, North Carolina, Virginia Dare 1937 (29,030)^[1]
• Battle of Antietam 1937 (18,028)
• New Rochelle, New York 1938 (15,266)
• Iowa Centennial 1946 (100,057)
• Booker T. Washington Memorial
  • 1946 (PDS) (1,000,546, 200,113, 500,279)
  • 1947 (PDS) (100,017, 100,017, 100,017)
  • 1948 (PDS) (8,005, 8,005, 8,005)
  • 1949 (PDS) (6,004, 6,004, 6,004)
  • 1950 (PDS) (6,004, 6,004, 512,091)
  • 1951 (PDS) (510,082, 7,004, 7,004)
• George Washington Carver/Booker T. Washington
  • 1951 (PDS) (20,018, 10,004, 10,004)
  • 1952 (PDS) (1,006,292, 8,006, 8,006)
  • 1953 (PDS) (8,003, 8,003, 88,020)
  • 1954 (PDS) (12,006, 12,006, 42,024)

1 Dollar Silver

• Lafayette dollar 1900 (36,026)

1 Dollar Gold

• Louisiana Purchase Exposition 1903
  • Jefferson (17,375)
  • McKinley (17,375)
• Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition
  • 1904 (10,025)
  • 1905 (10,041)
• Panama-Pacific Exposition 1915-S (15,000)
• Grant Memorial
  • 1922 (5,000)
  • 1922 with star (5,006)
• McKinley Memorial
  • 1916 (9,977)
  • 1917 (10,000)

Two and a Half Dollars Gold

• Panama-Pacific Exposition 1915-S (6,749)
• Sesquicentennial of the United States 1926 (46,019)

Fifty Dollars Gold

• Panama-Pacific Exposition (Round) 1915-S (483)
• Panama-Pacific Exposition (Octagonal) 1915-S (645)

See also

Modern United States commemorative coins

Further reading

Richard S. Yeoman. A Guide Book of United States Coins. ISBN 978-0-7948-3148-6

References

1. 1937 Roanoke Half Dollar