Commemorative coinage is a popular series to collect due to the diversity in design and the rich history behind each piece. These coins are issued through special acts of Congress to commemorate historic and significant people, places, and events. They have a story behind them, a reason for being minted. They are made as collectible coins and typically feature a higher relief and more detail than regular circulating coins.
United States commemorative coins are typically split into two categories: early and modern. In this article we will be discussing early, or classic, commemorative coins. These are the coins minted between 1892 and 1954. Something interesting about these coins is that their distribution processes, cost, and even some designs were decided by special interest groups or commemorative committees, rather than the U.S. Mint, despite being authorized through special acts of Congress and produced at the U.S. Mint. Commemorative coinage was paused for a while after 1954 due to presidential vetoes over a lack of public interest.
There are 61 different classic commemorative coin designs and 144 total varieties for the set. If you don’t want to collect the full 144-coin set, there are a few different ways you can split this series up to collect. Carl Stang, the instructor of the Classic Commemorative Coinage class at the American Numismatic Association Summer Seminar, divides the classic commemorative coins into seven categories: expositions, states, Civil War, people, cities, this and that, and gold. There are some coins that could fit into multiple categories, but they have been categorized according to the best fit.
Expositions
These coins were all made as "souvenir" coins to commemorate various world expositions. These events were typically held to celebrate landmark anniversaries or historic events. You can put together really interesting collections based on each exposition because there are lots of different souvenir pieces available from each event, not just the coins.
The coins that fall under the exposition category are:
- Columbian Exposition Half Dollars
- Isabella Quarter (this was the only classic commemorative quarter)
- LaFayette Dollar (this was the only classic commemorative silver dollar)
- Panama-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar
- Sesquicentennial Exposition Half Dollar
- California-Pacific Exposition Half Dollars
States
These are coins that were made to commemorate important state anniversaries. Many of these coins celebrate a state’s centennial, but there are also some that celebrate diamond jubilees, sesquicentennials, and even tercentennials.
The coins that fall under the state category are:
- Alabama Half Dollars
- Arkansas Half Dollar
- “Robinson” Arkansas Half Dollar
- California Half Dollar
- Connecticut Half Dollar
- Delaware Half Dollar
- Hawaiian Half Dollar
- Illinois Half Dollar
- Iowa Half Dollar
- Maine Half Dollar
- Maryland Half Dollar
- Missouri Half Dollars
- Texas Half Dollars
- Vermont Half Dollar
- Wisconsin Half Dollar
Civil War
These are coins that commemorate significant battles and important people from the Civil War. They depict important generals, landmarks, and battlefields.
The coins that fall under the Civil War category are:
- Antietam Half Dollar
- Gettysburg Half Dollar
- Grant Half Dollars
- Stone Mountain Half Dollar
People
These coins commemorate important people. They celebrate significant anniversaries and carry on historic legacies.
The coins that fall under the people category are:
- Daniel Boone Half Dollars
- Booker T. Washington Half Dollars
- George Washington Carver Half Dollars
Cities
Most of these coins commemorate landmark anniversaries of the city. However, there is one that honors battles fought in the city and one that honors a city's contributions to music (a rather controversial topic).
The coins that fall under the cities category are:
- Albany, NY Half Dollar
- Bridgeport, CT, Half Dollar
- Cincinnati, OH Half Dollars
- Cleveland, OH Half Dollar
- Columbia, SC Half Dollars
- Elgin, IL Half Dollar
- Hudson, NY Half Dollar
- Lexington and Concord, MA Half Dollar
- Lynchburg, VA Half Dollar
- New Rochelle, NY Half Dollar
- Norfolk, VA Half Dollar
- Providence, RI Half Dollars
- Ft. Vancouver, WA Half Dollar
This and That
These coins commemorate significant historical events or groups that didn’t fit into the other categories. They celebrate architectural achievement, influential policy, brave settlers, and more.
The coins that fall under the this and that category are:
- Bay Bridge Half Dollar
- Huguenot Half Dollar
- Long Island Half Dollar
- Monroe Doctrine Half Dollar
- Old Spanish Trail Half Dollar
- Oregon Trail Half Dollars
- Pilgrim Half Dollars
- Roanoke Half Dollar
- York County Half Dollar
Gold Coins
These are any gold classic commemorative coins. Many of these would fit into other categories, but many collectors prefer to collect the gold separately.
The coins that fall under the gold category are:
- Louisiana Purchase Exposition Jefferson Dollar
- Louisiana Purchase Exposition McKinley Dollar
- Lewis and Clark Exposition Dollars
- McKinley Memorial Dollars
- Grant Dollars
- Sesquincentennial Two and a Half Dollar
- Panama-Pacific Exposition Dollar
- Panama-Pacific Exposition Two and Half Dollar
- Panama-Pacific Exposition Round Fifty Dollar
- Panama-Pacific Exposition Octagonal Fifty Dollar