Home U.S. Coin Forum
Options

USA: silver commemorative half dollar, Pilgrim Tercentenary, 1920

lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
USA: silver commemorative half dollar, Pilgrim Tercentenary, 1920







image





image







Obverse: William Bradford left, wearing tall hat and carrying a book, presumably a bible.



Reverse: Mayflower ship sailing left over wavy seas.



PCGS MS64, cert. #09022114. Ex-Michael Kittle Rare Coins, 3/15/14.



I've wanted a pretty Pilgrim half for a while, since I'm a descendant of William Bradford, who's featured on the obverse. Or so I was always told. My mother still sends me copies of the Mayflower Quarterly, though I haven't read many of them. Family lore said my grandmother had a silver candlestick which had belonged to William Bradford, but I never saw it when her estate was divided up, so that story may or may not have been apocryphal. Who knows. My grandmother did come from a decidedly blueblooded clan. (Not that you'd guess that if you met me, two generations removed.) Anyway, even if the Bradford candlestick was just a misty family legend, I've finally gotten myself a nice piece of silver with a William Bradford connection, right?





Miscellaneous links:

Larger image

PCGS cert verification page

PCGS priceguide trends

Numismedia priceguide trends

NGC Coin Explorer listing



Wikipedia links:

William Bradford (Plymouth Colony governor)

Mayflower (ship)

Cyrus Edwin Dallin (designer)



When posted here, this coin was part of my "Eclectic Box of 20" collection.

Explore collections of lordmarcovan on CollecOnline, management, safe-keeping, sharing and valuation solution for art piece and collectibles.

Comments

  • Options
    BurksBurks Posts: 1,103
    That's one of those coins that if I were to submit it, I'd request the reverse be on the grade side of the label. One of my favorite US commem. reverses. Depth and detail are just fantastic. They really nailed it on that one. Obverse is cool but the reverse just trumps it.

    Also one of the few US coins I think looks better toned than blast white as well.
    WTB: Eric Plunk cards, jersey (signed or unsigned), and autographs. Basically anything related to him

    Positive BST: WhiteThunder (x2), Ajaan, onefasttalon, mirabela, Wizard1, cucamongacoin, mccardguy1


    Negative BST: NONE!
  • Options
    rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree that the reverse is really great.... still prefer them blast white - but that is just a personal preference... Cheers, RickO
  • Options
    MarkMark Posts: 3,522 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I agree with Burks about how cool the coin looks. I compare that coin with the modern commemoratives and think that with one exception, the modern commemorative look as if they designed using clip art and a computer. The one exception are coins designed by Elizabeth Jones. Before she was canned, she brought a lot of creativity to the designs.

    Anyway, re Lord M's coin itself: It's a sweet example. My guess in the poll was greater than a 64, so I really like it. Lord M, in your opinion, what sets the grade at 64 rather than something higher?
    Mark


  • Options
    ElKevvoElKevvo Posts: 4,065 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nice color..the Pilgrim is one of my favorite classic commems. I have several but none with nice subtle colors like that.

    K
    ANA LM
  • Options
    greghansengreghansen Posts: 4,301 ✭✭✭
    That's very pretty and deserving of a spot in your Box of 20.

    Greg Hansen, Melbourne, FL Click here for any current EBAY auctions Multiple "Circle of Trust" transactions over 14 years on forum

  • Options
    DIMEMANDIMEMAN Posts: 22,403 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I would definitely put that coin in my box of 800.image

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file