Circulating US Commemoratives

I've been "promising" this post for months â€" I started it a long time ago - but the need to get back to it and finish it up has slipped my mind time and time again! On the occasion of my 1500th post here on CCF, however, I thought I'd finally finish it and roll it out for your reading pleasure! (Or displeasure as the case may be! )

I've long contended that there are three categories of US commemorative coins:

1) Traditional or Classic Series (1892-1954)
2) Modern NCLT Series (1982 to present)
3) Circulation Series (1909 to present)

The last category is the one that is likely to raise the most eye brows, so let me explain. First, I'll list the coins I include in my "Circulation Commemorative" set:

1) 1909 Lincoln Cent
2) 1909 Lincoln Cent, VDB Variety
3) 1921 Peace dollar
4) 1932 Washington quarter
5) 1959 Lincoln Cent
6) 1976 Bicentennial Quarter, Half-Dollar and Dollar
7) 2004-2005 Westward Journey Nickels
8) 2009 Abraham Lincoln Cents

As I've written before, I don't consider the Statehood Quarters, America the Beautiful Quarters, Presidential dollars or Native American dollars to be commemorative coins. I consider them "Thematic" coins â€" coins that are part of a series in which each coin is linked by theme but in which the coins are not linked to a specific notable anniversary or current event. (My own definition.) Without debate, each of the four series I noted is designed to celebrate some noteworthy aspect of US history, but the release of individual coins in each series has no intended relationship to a specific date/year of historical note â€" each is just the next one in the series.

In contrast, each of the individual coins I've listed above was issued specifically to mark an historical anniversary or current event.

- 1909 Lincoln Cent: 100th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth
- 1921 Peace dollar: Conceived as a "Peace" commemorative for the end of WWI
- 1932 Washington quarter: 200th Anniversary of George Washington's birth
- 1959 Lincoln Cent: 150th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth
- 1976 Bicentennial Quarter, Half-Dollar and Dollar: 200th Anniversary of American Revolution
- 2004-2005 Westward Journey Nickels: 200th Anniversary of Lewis & Clark's epic exploration of the Louisiana Purchase and beyond
- 2009 Abraham Lincoln Cents: 200th Anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth

To be clear, I don't consider all Lincoln cents, all Washington quarters or all Peace dollars to be circulating commemoratives, just those issued in the years I've specified. I believe a coin can be issued as a commemorative in its first year and then go on to be a regular annual issue without the coin losing its first year commemorative nature. I know that many will disagree with me, but it'd be boring if we all thought the same way!

You may ask why I don't consider coins such as the 1938 Jefferson five-cent piece, the 1946 Roosevelt dime, the 1948 Franklin half-dollar, the 1964 Kennedy half-dollar, 1971 Eisenhower dollar or 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar to be circulating commemoratives. In my mind, there is a clear distinction between these coins and those on my original list.

There is no doubt that the portraits of these noted Americans were placed on their respective coins to honor their achievements on behalf of the US, but the introduction of each coin was not tied to a specific milestone in the life of the honored subject â€" they were more a "Lifetime Achievement" award. True, the Roosevelt, Kennedy and Eisenhower coins came about due to the recent death of each president, but the coins were not meant to commemorate their death. They were meant to serve as an ongoing tribute and memorial to each. Had each of these three coins been introduced later on a significant birth anniversary or other milestone event, I would feel differently about their commemorative status.

So, there you have it! Those are my "off the beaten path" views on US circulating commemorative coinage. I could go on, but this post is already very long.

What are your thoughts?