Commemorative Coin History
Early Commemorative Coins (1892-1954) U.S. commemorative coins began with the 1892 Columbian half dollar, minted for the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s voyage to America. This coin established a precedent for future issues celebrating historical events and figures. The 1915 Panama-Pacific half union, a set of five coins created for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San[…]