Classic silver commemoratives used quarters and half dollars to fund expositions, memorials, and civic projects while turning national memory into a large design catalog.
The normalized catalog covers 1892–1954 silver commemoratives. Modern commemorative programs beginning in 1982 are separate.
Core specifications
- Issue period
- 1892–1954
- Catalog mints
- 3
- Reported catalog mintage
- 12,128,298
- Composition
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Diameter
- Varies by type
- Weight
- Varies by type
Authorized one subject at a time
Congress authorized classic commemorative programs individually, often with sponsoring organizations distributing the coins above face value.
Many subjects, mint marks, and repeated production years make this a design-rich catalog rather than one continuous circulating series.
Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type
Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.
The main portrait and date
Portraits, allegorical figures, buildings, ships, and regional emblems vary by program; confirm the subject and denomination before reading the date.
Denomination, subject, and mint mark
Program inscriptions and secondary symbols identify the event or place; mint marks and dates may occupy unusual positions.
Where the cataloged coins were made
Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.
- P — Philadelphia: 1892, 1893, 1900, 1918, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954; 9,492,293. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
- S — San Francisco: 1915, 1923, 1925, 1926, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954; 2,107,741. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- D — Denver: 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954; 528,264. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
Representative issues that explain the series
A one-per-design set is more practical than a complete date-and-mint run and reveals the artistic range quickly.
- 1893 25C Isabella — 24,214. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1892 50C Columbian — 950,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1928 50C Oregon — 6,028. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1936 50C York — 25,015. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
Issue catalog
1893 25C Isabella1900 $1 Lafayette1921 50C Alabama1921 50C Alabama, 2X21936 50C Albany1937 50C Antietam1935 50C Arkansas1935-D 50C Arkansas1935-S 50C Arkansas1936 50C Arkansas1936-D 50C Arkansas1936-S 50C Arkansas1937 50C Arkansas1937-D 50C Arkansas1937-S 50C Arkansas1938 50C Arkansas1938-D 50C Arkansas1938-S 50C Arkansas1939 50C Arkansas1939-D 50C Arkansas1939-S 50C Arkansas1936-S 50C Bay Bridge1934 50C Boone1935 50C Boone1935-D 50C Boone1935-S 50C Boone1935/34 50C Boone1935/34-D 50C Boone1935/34-S 50C Boone1936 50C Boone1936-D 50C Boone1936-S 50C Boone1937 50C Boone1937-D 50C Boone1937-S 50C Boone1938 50C Boone1938-D 50C Boone1938-S 50C Boone1936 50C Bridgeport1925-S 50C California1936 50C Cincinnati1936-D 50C Cincinnati1936-S 50C Cincinnati1936 50C Cleveland1936 50C Columbia1936-D 50C Columbia1936-S 50C Columbia1892 50C Columbian1893 50C Columbian1935 50C Connecticut1936 50C Delaware1936 50C Elgin1936 50C Gettysburg1922 50C Grant1922 50C Grant, with Star1928 50C Hawaiian1935 50C Hudson1924 50C Huguenot1946 50C Iowa1925 50C Lexington1918 50C Lincoln-Illinois1936 50C Long Island1936 50C Lynchburg1920 50C Maine1934 50C Maryland1921 50C Missouri1921 50C Missouri, 2*41923-S 50C Monroe1938 50C New Rochelle1936 50C Norfolk1926 50C Oregon1926-S 50C Oregon1928 50C Oregon1933-D 50C Oregon1934-D 50C Oregon1936 50C Oregon1936-S 50C Oregon1937-D 50C Oregon1938 50C Oregon1938-D 50C Oregon1938-S 50C Oregon1939 50C Oregon1939-D 50C Oregon1939-S 50C Oregon1915-S 50C Panama-Pacific1920 50C Pilgrim1921 50C Pilgrim1936 50C Rhode Island1936-D 50C Rhode Island1936-S 50C Rhode Island1937 50C Roanoke1936 50C Robinson1935-S 50C San Diego1936-D 50C San Diego1926 50C Sesquicentennial1935 50C Spanish Trail1925 50C Stone Mountain1934 50C Texas1935 50C Texas1935-D 50C Texas1935-S 50C Texas1936 50C Texas1936-D 50C Texas1936-S 50C Texas1937 50C Texas1937-D 50C Texas1937-S 50C Texas1938 50C Texas1938-D 50C Texas1938-S 50C Texas1925 50C Fort Vancouver1927 50C Vermont1946 50C Booker T. Washington1946-D 50C Booker T. Washington1946-S 50C Booker T. Washington1947 50C Booker T. Washington1947-D 50C Booker T. Washington1947-S 50C Booker T. Washington1948 50C Booker T. Washington1948-D 50C Booker T. Washington1948-S 50C Booker T. Washington1949 50C Booker T. Washington1949-D 50C Booker T. Washington1949-S 50C Booker T. Washington1950 50C Booker T. Washington1950-D 50C Booker T. Washington1950-S 50C Booker T. Washington1951 50C Booker T. Washington1951-D 50C Booker T. Washington1951-S 50C Booker T. Washington1951 50C Washington-Carver1951-D 50C Washington-Carver1951-S 50C Washington-Carver1952 50C Washington-Carver1952-D 50C Washington-Carver1952-S 50C Washington-Carver1953 50C Washington-Carver1953-D 50C Washington-Carver1953-S 50C Washington-Carver1954 50C Washington-Carver1954-D 50C Washington-Carver1954-S 50C Washington-Carver1936 50C Wisconsin1936 50C York
From one type coin to a complete catalog
- One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
- Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
- Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
A note on catalog records
This page uses 144 issue records, 0 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.
Sources
- Commemorative Coin Program Over the Years — United States Mint
- Commemorative Coin Programs — United States Mint
- Silver Commemorative category reference — PCGS CoinFacts