@hokiefan_82 asked:
Quote:
What about the issues where the unsold coins were simply released into circulation?
That's a question that pops up from time to time. I try to answer when I see it. You may have come across this discussion:
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Half Dollars Released Into CirculationI haven't before put numbers to the circulation releases before, so I decided to do so here. Following are the classic-era coin programs that eventually witnessed bulk releases of unsold coins into circulation:
Year Coin Released
1893 World's Columbian Exposition Half Dollar ~1.1 Million
1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial ~247,000
1924 Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary ~55,000
1925 Stone Mountain Memorial ***
1946-(P) Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial ***
1946-D Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial ***
1946-S Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial ***
1950-S Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial ***
1951-(P) Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial ***
1951-(P) Carver-Washington ***
1952-(P) Carver-Washington ***
1953-S Carver-Washington ***
1954-S Carver-Washington ***
*** Reliable "circulation release" records for these issues are not available. Reasonable estimates for each are available for the number of coins returned to the Mint for melting, but specific, verifiable numbers for sold coins vs. those released into circulation are not available (at least not that I've uncovered to date!). Based on the net mintage figures of each (i.e.,
number struck - number melted), however, it is likely that 100,000+ of each listed coin type (vs. specific date and mint mark issue) were released into circulation.
Note: Individual coins of all early types have been released into circulation, mostly unofficially, These circulated examples are avidly pursued by today's "low ball" collectors.
Posted 01/17/2022 11:55 am
