Silver Commemoratives From Yesteryear

Jerry, I think (without betting the farm on it) the reason so many were circulated was the attitude back then, both on the part of the mints and of the buying public that such commemoratives were intended for circulation more than being minted for the collectors or souvenir hunters. The 1892 and '93 Columbian Exposition halves might be the arch-typical example of this notion in that so many were minted that they were a common coin. The CE coins, as the first commemoratives also set the precedent in the public mind that they were meant to be spent, so subsequent issues were thought to be more for spending than for collecting. However, there are some exceptions following the Columbias, e.g. Panama-Pacific Exposition in which it appears the mintage was deliberately kept low to keep them out of circulation. But, for the most part, following the Columbias, commemorative mintages were relatively high, so people spent them. And generally, people didn't know any better, so relatively few were kept by collectors and by persons thinking ahead to future generations.

These days, it's to the mints' profit advantage to encourage coin collecting; every State Quarter hoarded is that coin's value that becomes profit for the mints, so we see all sorts of new and special issues, promotions, and sales directly from the mints. It's also to our advantage as collectors that many others also become collectors through the mints' efforts.

Thanks for the info!!!! So, if I'm reading this right, if you were in the right place at the right time you could luck out and get a Unc. from the bank?



Jerry

I was never that lucky, but I knew a gentleman who claimed to have gotten two Columbians in circulation.