Favorite Commemorative Coin Design
Regardless of numismatic value, what is your favorite design / artwork used on our American commemorative coins? This can be obverse, reverse, or overall combined. I lean toward the Connecticut or the PT Barnum reverses
Comments
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the connecticut and texas commems work for me. the oregon is a close third
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1999 George Washington $5
New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.
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I like the 1982 Washington Half dollar, Nike on the obverse of the 1988 Olympic $5, The eagle on the 1994 Prisoner of War Museum silver dollar (both the design and the symbolism), the 1995 Civil War Battlefield $5, the 1999 Washington $5, the 1998 Dolly Madison bust (so to speak)
and several others.Although there are also several modern commemorative that are way less than wonderful, there are also some nice designs that are not given enough credit. And since none of these coins were ever used for commerce, some of them could have been fantastic in high relief. Just my opinion.
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Connecticut!

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The bitterness of "Poor Quality" is remembered long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.7 -
I'll second the Washington $5 dollar gold. That's just a badazz bald eagle!

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Dr Mikey
Commems and Early Type5 -
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Classic - Oregon
Modern - Library of Congress Gold/Platinum0 -
If I HAD to pick JUST ONE, I'd say Oregon.

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If you can't tell by my profile photo I LOVE the Pan-Pac! Here it is again

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Gosh just one... I guess it would have to be the 1925 Vancouver.
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!1 -
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CommemDude - Nice display. Would really enjoy owning something like that.
Here's mine again.........
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50,028 pieces coined at the San Francisco Mint with 26 pieces reserved for annual assay, 35,034 melted.
Approved by Congress on February 24, 1925 and issued in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Fort Vancouver by the Hudson Bay Company, State of Washington.
Design:
Obverse: Bust of Dr. John McLoughlin, builder of Fort Vancouver, to left; below, DR. JOHN McLOUGHLIN; at top, around border, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; in field, 1825-1925, IN GOD WE TRUST; at bottom, around border, HALF DOLLAR.Reverse: A frontiersman in buckskin suit, holding a gun, to right; in background, within a circle, the Fort and a mountain peak (Mt. Hood), at top, around border, FORT VANCOUVER CENTENNIAL; at bottom, around border, in small letters, VANCOUVER. WASHINGTON. FOUNDED. 1825 BY, in larger letters, HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY.
Sidney Bell, a Portland artist, was selected to prepare designs for the half dollar. The portrait of McLoughlin was taken from a sketch by John T. Urquhart. The local committee liked Bell’s work, but the Commission of Fine Arts rejected it as unsatisfactory. Laura Gardin Fraser revised the motifs and completed the models from which dies were made.
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For me, it's a virtual tie between Ct. and Oregon.
Modern commems would be 1999 $5 Geo. Washington, although I also kind of like the obverse of the $5 FDR coin.0 -
This has some of my favorite commem designs in it (other than the eagle).
Paul <> altered surfaces <> CoinGallery.org5 -
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Oregon. Reverse is a HOF Design. Obverse is a HOF Design.
mark
Walker Proof Digital Album
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......1 -
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PanPac $50 Gold, Connecticut, Texas, Oregon.....Hard to pick just one.... Cheers, RickO
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@johnny9434 said:
the connecticut and texas commems work for me. the oregon is a close thirdThese are my favorites also.
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@bolivarshagnasty said:
@Justacommeman said:
Oregon. Reverse is a HOF Design. Obverse is a HOF Design.mark
??
JEF
LGF?HOF = Hall Of Fame
To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!0 -
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Beautiful Vermont!
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@bolivarshagnasty said:
@Justacommeman said:
Oregon. Reverse is a HOF Design. Obverse is a HOF Design.mark
??
JEF
LGF?HOF = Probably "Hall Of Fame"?
I never thought that growing old would happen so fast.
- Jim0 -
@Broadstruck said:
@bolivarshagnasty said:
@Justacommeman said:
Oregon. Reverse is a HOF Design. Obverse is a HOF Design.mark
??
JEF
LGF?HOF = Hall Of Fame
Yep : )
Walker Proof Digital Album
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......1 -
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It's hard to dispute one of the most inspirational and beautiful designs ever, even though it's a commemorative of a circulation coin.
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Aw, heck, the Connecticut even looks great when it's circulated-

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I think you have to include the Illinois.
There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.
–John Adams, 18261 -
The Oregon is fantastic and originated in Pocatello. Idaho, a few miles from where I live. A few minutes from my house, parts of the trail still show wagon wheel ruts.
However, the Pilgrim was designed by my first cousin, a few times removed (Cyrus Dallin) so I better go with that one.
If you're having a giveaway, I'll go with the round PanPac $50.
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Agree with Rick on the Pan Pac slug.
For the half dollars, my favorite is the Oregon followed by the Pan Pac.
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@bolivarshagnasty ...That is one beautiful Oregon Trail..... Cheers, RickO
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@ricko said:
@bolivarshagnasty ...That is one beautiful Oregon Trail..... Cheers, RickOThank you RickO!
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So many beautiful designs but I like the Oregon trail the best.
Something about the Native American standing his ground telling the settlers to stop and on the reverse the settlers ignoring his warning and continuing west anyway. A microcosm of our relationship with the original Americans.
Q: When does a collector become a numismatist?
A: The year they spend more on their library than their coin collection.
A numismatist is judged more on the content of their library than the content of their cabinet.0 -
Great montage (if that's the right word) posted by Shylock!
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Oregon Trail.
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Gotta be the Oregon Trail. I'm a big fan of the Frasers. I'll have to think about the modern commems-some of those are attractive, too.
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I'm a big fan of the Norse. It's a medal, but still.

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I am a big fan of both the Texas and the Stone Mountain.
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Nothing wrong with a Norse!
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Gee whiz between the Oregon and Connecticut I would truly have to flip a coin to decide and still would want to say BOTH!
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Vermont's are pretty nice (Raw):
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