Home U.S. Coin Forum

circulating commemorative coins

when I was a kid (more than 45 years ago) I got an 1892 columbian expo in circulation... it was change at the candy store I went to on lunch breaks.

it was well circulated, probably had been in commerce for many years.

so a question: what percentage of commemorative coins were released into circulation?

thanks, Alan Mendelson
BestDealsTVshow.com

Comments

  • InYHWHWeTrustInYHWHWeTrust Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭
    I am still relatively new to the 'mishandled' and circ commems but it seems the earlier dates were more commonly used for the desperate times of the 'depression', but later years, more just for pocketpieces. Just my guess.'

    Trying to find them uncleaned, problem free and attractively toned is very fun and challenging!

    Don

    image
    image
    image
    Do your best to avoid circular arguments, as it will help you reason better, because better reasoning is often a result of avoiding circular arguments.
  • MisterBungleMisterBungle Posts: 2,308 ✭✭✭

    image

    ~


    "America suffers today from too much pluribus and not enough unum.".....Arthur Schlesinger Jr.

  • The Red Book says regarding the Columbian issue "...a substantial quantity was later released for circulation at face value.
    It was not usually done, but other series were also released for circulation. Then there is the 1952 Washington-Carver I accidentally paid the milkman with (1956).
  • SkyManSkyMan Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Technically, aren't the 3 Bi-centennial coins commemoratives, as well as all 50 of the State quarters?
  • pb2ypb2y Posts: 1,461
    The last one I got in change was a B.T. Washington about 1948..
    I spent it on a movie.
    image

  • fishteethfishteeth Posts: 2,263 ✭✭✭✭✭
    About 5 yrs ago I bought up a collection from an old time banker. It included 5 original rolls of Washington Carver halves.
    He informed me that they were released to the banks in the 50's and he pulled all the rolls that came into his bank.
    This leads me to believe that some of the circ Washington Carver and BTW were more than pocket pieces.
  • savoyspecialsavoyspecial Posts: 7,302 ✭✭✭✭
    how about the 1848 'CAL' Quarter Eagle?? those were circulated right? of course the big question here is do you consider that a comemmorative or not??

    greg

    www.brunkauctions.com

  • Skyman is right. But how about the 1932 Washington quarter? That was unquestionably a commemorative for the 200th anniversary of Washington's birth. It was not certain that it was going to be part of a series but they kept it.
  • ZoinsZoins Posts: 34,401 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>how about the 1848 'CAL' Quarter Eagle?? those were circulated right? of course the big question here is do you consider that a comemmorative or not?? >>

    I consider them commemoratives and they definitely circulated. They can probably be considered the most important commemorative from the general public perspective. Back in the 1840s, communication was still slow (months) and the government used the CAL coins to get the news out to the east coast public that there really was gold in CA, helping accelerate the gold rush.

Leave a Comment

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