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

• Columbian Exposition 1893 (24,124)

50 Cents Silver

• Columbian half dollar
  • 1892 (950,000, including about 100 proof coinage.)
  • 1893 (1,550,405, including about 100 proofs.)
• Panama-Pacific Exposition 1915-S (27,134)
• Illinois Centennial half dollar 1918 (100,058)
• Maine Centennial 1920 (50,028)
• Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar
  • 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 half dollar 1924 (142,080)
• Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial half dollar 1925 (162,013)
• Stone Mountain Memorial half dollar 1925 (1,314,709)
• California Diamond Jubilee half dollar 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 half dollar
  • 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)
• Hawaii Sesquicentennial half dollar 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 Centennial half dollar 1936 (50,030)
• Wisconsin Territorial Centennial 1936 (25,015)
• Cincinnati Musical Center half dollar 1936 (PDS) (5,005, 5,005, 5,006)
• Long Island Tercentenary 1936 (81,826)
• York County, Maine Tercentenary 1936 (25,015)
• Bridgeport half dollar 1936 (25,015)
• Lynchburg, Virginia Sesquicentennial 1936 (20,013)
• Elgin, Illinois, Centennial half dollar 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)
• 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 dollar 1903
  • Jefferson (17,375)
  • McKinley (17,375)
• Lewis and Clark Exposition dollar
  • 1904 (10,025)
  • 1905 (10,041)
• Panama-Pacific Exposition 1915-S (15,000)
• Grant Memorial
  • 1922 (5,000)
  • 1922 with star (5,006)
• McKinley Birthplace Memorial dollar
  • 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