Classic Gold and Silver Commemorative Coins
To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, Congress authorized the Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar (Buy on eBay). The commemorative coins were issued with two different dates, setting a precedent that would be followed by future issues. The obverse of the Pilgrim Half Dollar features a depiction of Governor William Bradford […]
The Maine Centennial Half Dollar (Buy on eBay) was authorized by Congress to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the formation of the state of Maine. At the time of release there was a fair amount of criticism leveled at the design, which was based on the state arms. The maximum authorized mintage for the coins […]
Representing the first commemorative coin to sell the full maximum authorized mintage, the 1918 Illinois Centennial Half Dollar (Buy on eBay) depicting Abraham Lincoln was immediately popular with collectors and the public. This commemorative silver half dollar would be the first of many issued to mark the anniversaries of states, counties, and municipalities throughout America. […]
The McKinley Memorial Gold Dollar (Buy on eBay) was authorized in order to defray the costs of completing a memorial for William McKinley in Niles, Ohio. This was the birthplace of the 15th President of the United States, who had been assassinated in 1901. McKinley had previously been depicted on the 1903 Louisiana Purchase McKinley […]
The 1915 Panama Pacific Half Dollar (Buy on eBay) represented only the second commemorative silver half dollar issued by the United States Mint. Although this would later become the most frequent denomination for classic commemorative coins, the earlier issues took place across a range of denominations. The program of five commemorative coins issued for the […]