What are your top five favorite Commemorative silver half dollars?

mdwoods · October 10, 2003 1:18AM

1. Connecticut
2. Antietam
3. Grant
4. Spanish Trail
5. Columbia

Gee, my favorites all have trees in the design.

6. Maine

baccaruda · October 10, 2003 1:24AM

1. Oregon
2. Texas
3. Connecticut
4. San Diego
5. Any commem with a big ship on the reverse. Ships and coins go together like chocolate and peanut butter (or for Lucy, like shamalamalamalamashipitty-shipty-bop)

paigowjohnny · October 10, 2003 1:25AM

I'm not a big commem guy..I have a couple for my Dansco type set....but I like

Columbian...I like the ship theme
San Diego....because I live here
Bay Bridge....because I used to live there, and my car broke down in the middle of the bridge one rush hour years ago

Hawaiian...used to live there, and it's very attractive....but too costly
and a toss up between Delaware, Norfolk, and Rhode Island

greghansen · October 10, 2003 1:35AM

In no particular order:

1. Oregon - because we all like it
2. Texas - same as above
3. New Rochelle - grew up on a ranch
4. Stone Mountain - I love the real place
5. Grant - guess my civil war prejudice is coming through.

mgoodm3 · October 10, 2003 1:41AM

don't own any, but here's a couple that I like.

1) Oregon trail.
2) Connecticut.

FC57Coins · October 10, 2003 1:43AM

Oregon
Pilgrim
Roanoake
Cincinnati
Panama Pacific

pontiacinf · October 10, 2003 1:43AM

ct-i live here, got a ms65 pcgs for 63 money

spanish trail-cause i dont have one

Mikey · October 10, 2003 1:49AM

I like the Bay Bridge, especially the bear.

Louis · October 10, 2003 1:54AM

1. Oregon
2. Hawaiian
3. Missouri
4. Columbian
5, Gettysburg

coinrookie · October 10, 2003 1:56AM

1. OREGON !!!!
2. Bay Bridge
3. San Diego
4. Antietam
5. Grant

fivecents · October 10, 2003 4:10AM

1. Antietam
2. Gettysburg
3. Grant
4. Lincoln
5.Stone mountain

jdimmick · October 10, 2003 4:16AM

Even though I am not a big fan of commemorative halves, I like the following:

stone mountain
oregon trail
hudson, new york
pilgram
texas

Blackhawk · October 10, 2003 4:20AM

Pilgrim
Vermont
San Diego
Columbian Exposition
Pan-Pacific

LanLord · October 10, 2003 4:31AM

Just completed my Dansco 50 piece album yesterday, so this is rather timely.

All of them - in no certain order.

But if you are going to hold my feet to the fire.

1 - Oregon - the best looking US coin design ever.
2 - Hudson - ship
3 - Pilgrim - ship
4 - Long Island - ship
5 - Delaware - ship

If we avoid the ship theme

1 - Oregon - still the best looking coin design ever
2 - Antietam - Cool bridge
3 - Veromont - cool cat
4 - Wisconsin - cool pig (er uh badger)
5 - Stone mountain - cool horses.

DoubleDime · October 10, 2003 4:46AM

Pilgrim
Lexington
Connecticut
Oregon Trail
Carver - Washington

rainbowquarters · October 10, 2003 5:24AM

1. Oregon
2. Antietam
3. Gettysburg
4. Carver-Washington
5. Booker T Washington

4 & 5 because that's what I collect

1946Hamm · October 10, 2003 5:31AM

Oregon Trail
Pan-Pacific
Bay Bridge
Connecticut
Gettysburg

I like all of the early commems. Even the three I don't have. (Antietam, Hawaiian, Spanish Trail)

kamehameha00 · October 10, 2003 5:51AM

1.Columbian
2.Elgin Il
3.Oregon
4.Grant
5.Hawiaan/Pilgrim (can't decide)

lordmarcovan · October 10, 2003 5:55AM

In no particular order:

Oregon (found a pretty nice one with my detector!)
Columbian (but I prefer the 1892)
Stone Mountain (gotta stick with that for state patriotic reasons, and I like it anyway- been there twice)
Pilgrim (I am a descendant of the guy on the front: William Bradford, the Pilgrim governor)
San Diego (I like the design)

itsnotjustme · October 10, 2003 5:57AM

Lexington -- I grew up in Concord, and have visited the minuteman statue many times.
Monroe -- I love how the two female figures form North and South Amaerica representing the Monroe Doctrine

Darkhorse · October 10, 2003 5:58AM

I like the oregon one too, how much do they usually cost for a nice example?

coppercoins · October 10, 2003 6:01AM

1. Pan-Pac
2. Texas
3. Arkansas (indian obverse)
4. Illinois
5. Oregon Trail.

Kinda suprises me that I'm the first to include Arkansas, unless I missed someone else's post.

lordmarcovan · October 10, 2003 6:02AM

<< <i>I like the oregon one too, how much do they usually cost for a nice example? >>

Mine didn't cost me a thing.

I reckon it would have been about an $80-90 coin, though, non-dug. It's an AU-ish piece, aside from a hairline or two caused by its sojourn in the ground.

Dahlonega · October 10, 2003 10:33AM

Agree with five cents I consider them the Civil War Set...but, the unanswered question is should the Grant be with or without star? Or does it matter?? Is there a special holder made for this 5 piece set?
Stone Mountain
Lincoln
Gettysburg
Antietam
Grant [star or no]

relayer · October 10, 2003 7:41PM

1 - Oregon
2 - Illinois
3 - Pilgrim
4 - Connecticut
5 - San Diego

FatMan · October 10, 2003 8:34PM

This thread is 100% EXCELLENT!

Here are my top commems. They are not in any order as I am sure if you asked me tomorrow the order may change.

Stone Mountain
Oregon
Albany
Bay Bridge
Connecticut
Hudson
Pan Pac
Norfolk
Pilgrim
Texas
York
Antietam

Oops, thats more than 5. But like donuts, Commems are better by the dozen

puff · October 10, 2003 8:44PM

1. OREGON
2. TEXAS
3. ANTIETAM
4. SPANISH TRAIL
5. PANAMA PACIFIC

bigbadchad777 · October 10, 2003 8:59PM

I like the Civil War coins:
Antietam (my favorite)
Gettysburg
Stone Mountain
also
Spanish Trail
& everyone's favorite Oregon Trail.

I have a bunch of commems on eBay.
Click on my link below & check them out.

BillJones · October 10, 2003 11:07PM

1. Antietam - Getting a landscape design to work on a coin is a great accomplishment
2. Hawaiian - It’s neat to see a really nice one, and it’s the key to the series
3. Missouri – Ditto and it’s underrated relative to the price of the Hawaiian
4. Oregon – Great design
5. Gettysburg – The symbolism of symmetry between the North and South was great. Unfortunately it would take a couple of generations to complete the process.

Honorable mentions:

Panamanian-Pacific, Lafayette (I know it’s a dollar) – Both hard to find nice and a pleasure to locate when you do.

California, Connecticut and Lincoln-Illinois – Wonderful designs. The Lincoln is best art work to appear on a coin for the 16th president.

Delaware – My home state. Before the state quarter program, this was the only U.S. coin in a very small collection of Delaware items.

Least favorite:
Arkansas – Vapid Indian and flapper lowlight a boring design.
Cincinnati – Commemorated nothing and should never have been issued

BillJones · October 10, 2003 11:13PM

Hi Darkhorse!

I have a very nice hand-picked NGC MS-63 1926 Oregon for $125 including shipping. PM me if you are interested.

Clankeye · October 11, 2003 1:40AM

Washington Carver
Lincoln/Illinois

Cincinnati ---- don't care if it "commemorates nothing" Stephen Foster's on it.

Booker T. Washington
Isabella

isaacmaya · October 11, 2003 6:09AM

1. Antietam
2. Gettysburg
3. Grant
4. Oregon
5.Stone mountain

BigE · October 11, 2003 6:24AM

1. Connecticut
2. Antietam
3. Grant
4. Spanish Trail
5. Columbia
I like trees also-----------------------------BigE

islemangu · October 11, 2003 8:35AM

Pan Pacific
Oregon
Norfolk
Roenoke
Grant

TWQG · April 15, 2004 11:39AM

I'm still thinking about it

FatMan · April 15, 2004 11:41AM

<< <i>I'm still thinking about it >>

No hurry Sean. Please take all the time you need.

mrearlygold · April 15, 2004 12:49PM

1 Oregon
2 Hawaiin
3 Missouri
4 Hudson
5 Bay Bridge

TP

Cocoinut · April 15, 2004 1:57PM

1. Oregon Trail - a masterpiece of coin design
2. Connecticut - a close runner-up
3. Antietam - intricate detail. I visited the Burnside Bridge at the end of the summer in 1993, within a week of the anniversary of the battle. it was so tranquil that it was hard to believe there had been such carnage at the site in 1862. Here's what it looked like then:

4. Pan-Pac
5. Hawaiian

Jim

RegistryCoin · April 15, 2004 2:00PM

Limiting it to just five is a real toughy.

michael · April 15, 2004 3:12PM

in no particiular order are

new rochelle especially if blast white and strongly PL in superb gem with no makrs in the fields i would like to see that one on a Pl coin!!

oregon but with really special extraordinary toning and superb gem grade

cinci set p-d-s would be nice to have in gem but a totally original set with nice surfaces and eye appeal this would be the ultimate rare undervalued commen set of the whole early commem series wild!!

boone but not the typical boone one with great lustre and also rainbow monster toned!! combined with superb gem technical grade

monroe again superb technical grade with great multicolored toning

vermont but with great color and superb technical grade

elgin but again superb technical grade and great color

arks again with superb technical grade and great color

isabella with great color!!!

pilgrim as per the above

michael

RegistryCoin · April 15, 2004 3:19PM

I see a thread through Michael's post. We mostly all know about toning, but (very well learned) Michael also mentions "superb technical grade" This is (also) key to me. Nice commentary.
ps. what sticks in one's mind, and is hard to ignore, is the relative rarity of some of the issues in these type of conditions. This is part of what makes narrowing it down to five so difficult.

pocketpiececommems · April 15, 2004 7:47PM

1. Missouri
2. Grant
3. Bay Bridge
4. Illinois
5. Connecticut

Neptune · April 15, 2004 11:14PM

Yes, tough to choose just 5! and I also agree - great thread.

Texas
Oregon
Hudson (Neptune!)
Stone Mt.
PanPac

Honorable Mention goes to:

Connecticut
Ft. Vancouver
California
Hawaiian
Pilgrim