Why are there so many Oregon Silver Commemorative issues (from 1926-1939)

TopographicOceans

It's a nice design but it went one for years and years, and certain years had production from multiple mints.
And why the gap in years? There is no 1927 or 1935 and 1929-1932 are missing as well.
And what about 1937? It was only produced at Denver.

There are 14 date/mint combinations:

1. 1926
2. 1926-S
3. 1928
4. 1933-D
5. 1934-D
6. 1936
7. 1936-S
8. 1937-D
9. 1938
10. 1938-D
11. 1938-S
12. 1939
13. 1939-D
14. 1939-S

Here is a 1926 MS68+ example from Coin Facts.

BillJones

One word, GREED. Greed was one of the major abuses that caused the "old" commemorative series to end in 1954 after the Booker T. Washington and Washington - Carver half dollar series. In the later years, 1938 and '39, the Oregon committee that benefited from the sale of those coins, played games with the distribution of the coins when the mintages were only 6 and 3 thousand coins to maximize their income.

The Oregon was one of the most beautiful commemorative half dollars, the distribution of it was ugly.

messydesk

@BillJones said:
...

The Oregon was one of the most beautiful commemorative half dollars U.S. coins ever, the distribution of it was ugly.

Fixed it for you.

7Jaguars

I guess a gold one will be here courtesy of US Mint come 2026?

Justacommeman

I wish they were still producing them

mark

CaptHenway

Wouldn't that have made a great one ounce silver bullion coin?

messydesk

@Justacommeman said:
I wish they were still producing them

mark

Careful what you wish for. They might be lower relief, less fine detail, revamped to be compatible with cameo proofs, computer font dreck if they were still producing them. Take a look at the 2001 Buffalo nickel dollar.

Baley

_Why are there so many Oregon Silver Commemoratives _

Because people liked them and kept buying them

Why are there so many Walking Liberty bullion and commemorative coins?

Because people like them and keep buying them.

Is this a trick question?

Zoins

Here's a nice looking 1936-S I recently ran across:

And a larger version of the coin in the OP:

Zoins

@7Jaguars said:
I guess a gold one will be here courtesy of US Mint come 2026?

Here's a nice gold 1927-D from Dan!

7Jaguars

LOL! I tried with no success to buy that one off him.

BG

Sales of the 1926 issue did not sell as well as expected. The U.S. Mint forced the Oregon Trail Memorial Association to sell the majority of the 1926 issue before shipping the 1928 year.

northcoin

That would make an interesting collection. To get one in Mint State for each year and mint would likely not be that expensive? Are there any keys or stoppers in the "series?"

I agree it is one of the most attractive of all the commemoratives and I know I picked up at least one along the way and still have it or them somewhere.

1940coupe

I have one of these only 62 minted by Dan Carr

ricko

The Oregon Trail Commemorative is truly a beautiful coin.... it ranks right there with the classics (i.e. Walker, Merc, St. Augustine DE, Buffalo nickel)... Cheers, RickO

7Jaguars

1940 - that is so very beautiful. I did manage one as well, superb!

CommemKing

Because they look so darn good!

illini420

@Justacommeman said:
I wish they were still producing them

mark

I don't remember which book on commemoratives it was, but I remember reading in one of them that Congress stepped in during 1939 to prevent them from making further Oregon Trail commemorative halves. I think the authorizing legislation set the maximum number of coins they could mint, but there was no limit on the dates or mintmarks, that's why we ended up with so many of them. If Congress didn't put a stop to it, it is probable that they would have continued to these coins into the 1940s and maybe even until today!

oih82w8

I like the design so much this one resides in my 7070 as one of the four classic half dollar commemoratives.

pocketpiececommems

They look nice circulated to in a dovetail gray. If this would've been a series for circulation the date would've worn off

Overdate

@messydesk said:

They might be lower relief, less fine detail, revamped to be compatible with cameo proofs, computer font dreck if they were still producing them.

And probably clad.

Justacommeman

@northcoin said:
That would make an interesting collection. To get one in Mint State for each year and mint would likely not be that expensive? Are there any keys or stoppers in the "series?"

I agree it is one of the most attractive of all the commemoratives and I know I picked up at least one along the way and still have it or them somewhere.

I guess it depends on how you put the set together and it what grades and degree of toning. It would cost in excess of 125k if you did the set in 68 with super toning. It would probably cost well less then 5k in 65 with minimal or no toning.

I've been working on my toned Oregon set in PCGS 67 or better for 11 years and I still have 8 coins to go. I'm going for a matched set and the wagon side must be excessively well toned. I plan on having all of them holdered wagon side up except for one. Slow going for sure and monsters of Oregons rarely come out. There are two date/mint mark that rarely come attactively toned and I still don't have those.

Mark

northcoin

@Justacommeman said:

@northcoin said:
That would make an interesting collection. To get one in Mint State for each year and mint would likely not be that expensive? Are there any keys or stoppers in the "series?"

I agree it is one of the most attractive of all the commemoratives and I know I picked up at least one along the way and still have it or them somewhere.

I guess it depends on how you put the set together and it what grades and degree of toning. It would cost in excess of 125k if you did the set in 68 with super toning. It would probably cost well less then 5k in 65 with minimal or no toning.

I've been working on my toned Oregon set in PCGS 67 or better for 11 years and I still have 8 coins to go. I'm going for a matched set and the wagon side must be excessively well toned. I plan on having all of them holdered wagon side up except for one. Slow going for sure and monsters of Oregons rarely come out. There are two date/mint mark that rarely come attactively toned and I still don't have those.

Mark

Thanks! Good luck on completing the set. Does it have a place as a "Registry Set?" If not, maybe yours should be the first.

Zoins

@Justacommeman said:

@northcoin said:
That would make an interesting collection. To get one in Mint State for each year and mint would likely not be that expensive? Are there any keys or stoppers in the "series?"

I agree it is one of the most attractive of all the commemoratives and I know I picked up at least one along the way and still have it or them somewhere.

I guess it depends on how you put the set together and it what grades and degree of toning. It would cost in excess of 125k if you did the set in 68 with super toning. It would probably cost well less then 5k in 65 with minimal or no toning.

I've been working on my toned Oregon set in PCGS 67 or better for 11 years and I still have 8 coins to go. I'm going for a matched set and the wagon side must be excessively well toned. I plan on having all of them holdered wagon side up except for one. Slow going for sure and monsters of Oregons rarely come out. There are two date/mint mark that rarely come attractively toned and I still don't have those.

Mark

Great info and good luck on the collection!

In the context of this recent discussion, any thoughts on how a 125k super toned 68 set will preform relative to a 5k 65 set?

7Jaguars

Glad SOMEONE thinks there should be such a discrepancy in price - absolutely ridiculous IMO & there are some 65s that are much more aesthetically pleasing than some of these neon glow 67s & 8s.
As far as that goes, Dan's pieces are possibly the most attractive in semi-matte proof as shown above.