PCGS - Of the entire run of classic commemorative coins produced by the United States Mint from 1892 through 1954, few are as popular as the Oregon Trail Half Dollars. The type was struck for several years from 1926 through 1939 and was produced at one time or another at each of the three U.S. Mint facilities then operating, which include the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints.
The coin pairs designs from the talented husband-wife duo of James Earle Fraser and Laura Gardin Fraser. James, whose design of a proud Native American is on the obverse of the Oregon Trail Half Dollar, is perhaps best known for his Buffalo nickel motif. Laura, who designed the oxen-driven Conestoga wagon reverse of the Oregon Trail Half Dollar, is still leaving her mark to this day with her bust of George Washington; she designed it in the early 1930s for the quarter, and it is currently in production on the obverse of the American Women Quarters. Many proclaim the Oregon Trail Half Dollar the most beautiful of all U.S. commemorative coins; it without a doubt captures many symbols iconic to the Western American scene of the 19th century.
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