The United States Mint has minted numerous commemorative coins to commemorate persons, places, events, and institutions since 1848. many of these coins are not intended for general circulation, but are still legal tender. [ 1 ] The mint besides produces commemorative medals, which are like to coins but do not have a face rate, and consequently are not legal tender. [ 2 ]
history [edit ]
early commemoratives [edit ]
The earliest commemorative coin minted by the US Mint was the 1848 “ CAL ” quarter eagle, which commemorated the rule of aureate in California. [ 3 ] These coins were standard quarter eagles that were modified by punching CAL. onto the invert above the eagle. Most standard US commemorative coin lists begin with the 1892 columbian half dollar commemorating the four-hundredth anniversary of Columbus ‘ voyage to America. The pursue year, the columbian Exposition quarter dollar featuring Queen Isabella of Spain was issued. [ 4 ]
In 1915, the mint issued the Panama–Pacific half marriage, which had a face value of $ 50. This was the first prison term a commemorative coin was produced in a denomination that was not issued for circulation ( a one-half union coin was proposed, but was never released into circulation ). The mint was offered in both round and octangular versions, the latter being the only US mint that is not round. [ 5 ] In 1925, a commemorative 50-cent mint was released that showed Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Money raised from the sale of the coins was combined with money raised by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial Association in order to fund the carve of a Confederate memorial at Stone Mountain. [ 6 ] The 1926 United States Sesquicentennial half dollar was the second United States coin to feature a living person at the meter of its mint. The obverse of the coin featured busts of George Washington and Calvin Coolidge. [ 7 ] ( The first was the 1921 Alabama Centennial half dollar, which showed a tear of then-Governor Thomas Kilby. ) coolidge remains the lone president depicted on coinage during his life. Starting in the 1930s, the US Mint was criticized for issuing commemorative coins of dubious recognition and apparently endless mint runs ( the Oregon Trail Memorial 50-cent piece was minted 8 years during a 14-year span ). Multiple unrelated commemoratives besides were minted in many years, diminishing the significance of commemorative issues. In 1936 entirely 19 commemorative one-half dollars were minted, not including two half dollars that were date 1936 but were actually minted the take after class. Three commemorative half dollars were proposed for issue in 1954, but all were vetoed by president of the united states Dwight D. Eisenhower due to the lack of pastime expressed by collectors, and the menstruation of early commemoratives ended that year with the 1954 Carver-Washington half dollar. [ 8 ] [ 9 ]
modern commemoratives [edit ]
In 1982, the US Mint resumed its commemorative coin program with the George Washington 250th Anniversary half dollar. Unlike the original commemoratives, only a few coins are released each class and are more popular with collectors. [ 10 ] The Library of Congress eagle of 2000 was the first base bi-metallic mint issued by the US Mint. [ 11 ] Later that year, the mint released a 1,000 Icelandic króna coin commemorating the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Ericson ‘s discovery of the Americas. This mint was struck on the same planchet as the ash grey dollar that besides commemorated the event. [ 12 ] The year 2017 marked the 225th anniversary of the US Mint. Although no traditional commemorative coins were issued for the occasion, the mint did produce a $ 100 coin, a special uncirculated mint set have coins with an “ enhance ” stopping point, and a mobilize penny featuring the P mint stigmatize. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ]
Circulating commemorative coins [edit ]
Circulating commemorative coins have been slightly more unusual in the United States. These are coins that are minted to commemorate a particular person, rate, event, or mental hospital, but are intended to enter general circulation. All US Bicentennial commemoratives were dated 1776–1976, despite being produced throughout 1975–76. [ 16 ]
dollar coins [edit ]
The first commemorative mint of the United States made specifically as a circulation issue was the 1921 Peace dollar. The coin was primitively intended to be produced for one year to commemorate the end of World War I, although the invention proved popular and continued to be produced until silver dollar production ended in 1935. [ 17 ] In 1975 and 1976, the Eisenhower dollar was issued for circulation, among other commemorative coins in those years. The Susan B. Anthony dollar was minted from 1979 to 1981, and then again in 1999. The presidential dollar coins, the first of which was released in 2007, commemorate deceased presidents of the United States. The program ended in 2016 when the last eligible president, Ronald Reagan, was commemorated ( a George H. W. Bush mint was released in 2020 ). 2009 saw the let go of of the inaugural native american dollar mint, to depict “ images celebrating the crucial contributions made by amerind tribes and individual Native Americans to the development of the United States and the history of the United States. ” [ 18 ] The work besides called for the removal of the date from the obverse and “ E PLURIBUS UNUM “ from the reverse of the mint, opting rather to add them to the boundary. [ 18 ] In 2018, the american Innovation $ 1 Coin Program was launched. The program will run from 2019–2032, commemorating an inventor or an invention from each state and six territories. An introductory mint was released in 2018. These coins do not circulate as of 2019, as no dollar coins have been minted for circulation since 2012 due to a miss of need. Should there be a want for more dollar coins before 2032, however, some american Innovation dollars may enter circulation .
half dollars [edit ]
respective issues of commemorative half dollars were released into circulation to initially poor people sales. The next plan circulating commemorative coin was a half dollar to commemorate the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Washington. The coin was to have been struck for one year only in 1932, however, no circulating half dollars were struck from 1930 until 1934 ascribable to a miss of demand caused by the Great Depression. [ 19 ] The anniversary was rather commemorated with the Washington quarter, which, like the Peace dollar, former became a regular emergence mint. The Kennedy half dollar, beginning released in March 1964 as a memorial to the assassinate 35th president of the united states of the United States John F. Kennedy, became hoarded by collectors, and those interested in a memento of the late president of the united states, and for the silver content of the coin, and were rarely seen in circulation despite increased production and periodic decrease of silver content. A particular design for the revoke of the half dollar was issued for the United States Bicentennial, hit. product of the circulating mint was then ended in 2001, but in 2021 began again to be produced for general circulation. [ 20 ]
Quarters [edit ]
In 1975 and 1976, the Washington stern was issued and circulated to commemorate the United States Bicentennial. [ 21 ] In 1999, the State Quarters platform began circulating five different commemoratives each year with reverses for each of the 50 States in the rate of their admission to the Union. In 2009, six quarters commemorating the District of Columbia, two commonwealths, and three territories were issued. [ 22 ] [ 23 ] Beginning in 2010 and continuing through 2021, a series of quarters, the America the Beautiful Quarters, was issued to recognize America ‘s National Parks, with five quarters issued per class. [ 24 ] The american Women quarters program, authorized by the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, sponsored by Representatives Barbara Lee and Anthony Gonzalez, [ 25 ] will comprise a series featuring celebrated women in U.S. history, commemorating the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [ 26 ] The United States Mint will issue up to five designs each year from 2022 to 2025 for up to 20 total designs. One woman will be honored on the reverse of each coin, selected for “ contributions to the United States in a across-the-board spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, skill, space, and arts. ” [ 27 ] The obverse will depict George Washington with a newfangled blueprint. [ 28 ] Honorees for 2022 [ 29 ] are : Maya Angelou – January 2022, [ 30 ] Sally Ride – March 2022, [ 31 ] Wilma Mankiller – June 2022, [ 32 ] Adelina Otero-Warren, and Anna May Wong .
Nickels [edit ]
In 2004–2005 the batch issued four commemorative Westward Journey nickel, celebrating the two-hundredth anniversaries of the Louisiana Purchase and the Corps of Discovery .
One cent coins [edit ]
In 2009, four commemorative one cent pieces were issued to mark the bicentennial of the give birth of Abraham Lincoln .
Specifications of traditional commemorative coins [edit ]
quarter ( 25¢ ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag 90%, Cu 10% | 24.3 mm (0.957 in) | 6.25 g | 1893 | 
|
|
one-half dollar ( 50¢ ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag 90%, Cu 10% | 30.61 mm (1.205 in) | 12.50 g | 1892–1954, 1982, 1993 | 
|
| Cu 92%, Ni 8% | 11.34 g | 1986–present | 
|
|
| 2014, 2019, 2020 |
dollar ( $ 1 ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ag 90%, Cu 10% | 38.1 mm (1.500 in) | 26.73 g | 1900, 1983–2018 | 
|
|
| 90% Au, 10% Cu | 15.0 mm (0.590 in) | 1.672 g | 1903–1922 | 
|
|
| Ag 99.9% | 38.1 mm (1.500 in) | 26.73 g | 2019–present | ||
| 76.2 mm (3.000 in) | 155.517g | 2019, 2020 | |||
quarter eagle ( $ 2.50 ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au 90%, Cu 10% | 18.0 mm (0.709 in) | 4.18 g | 1848, 1915, 1926 | 
|
one-half eagle ( $ 5 ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% | 21.59 mm (0.850 in) | 8.539 g | 1986–present | |
| Au 85%, Cu 14.8%, Zn .2% | 21.59 mm (0.850 in) | 7.931 g | 2018 |
Eagle ( $ 10 ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au 90%, Ag 6%, Cu 4% | 26.92 mm (1.060 in) | 16.718 g | 1984, 2003 | 
|
|
| Au 48%, Pt 48%, Alloy 4% | 26.92 mm (1.060 in) | 16.259 g | 2000 | 
|
|
| Au 99.99% | 26.49 mm (1.043 in) | 14.175g | 2007-2016, 2020 | 
|
|
Half union ( $ 50 ) [edit ]
| Composition | Diameter | Total weight | Years minted | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au 90%, Cu 10% | 50.8 mm (2.000 in) | 83.55 g | 1915 | 
|
| 44.9 mm (1.77 in) | 75.54 g | 
|
See besides [edit ]
References [edit ]
bibliography [edit ]
- Bowers, Q. David (2006). A Guide Book of Washington and State Quarters. Atlanta, Ga.: Whitman Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7948-2059-6.
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