Oregon Trail Memorial Commemorative Silver Half Dollar

Best bet is to buy a graded one. Do a Saved Search on e-Bay. Don't try to buy a raw one.



to the CCF!

Your goal is not the easiest to achieve, but can be accomplished. The Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar is a popular coin among collectors, which ensures pricing pressures across all grades/conditions (including lower circulated grades).

With a target purchase price of less than $100, I would recommend that you seek either a 1926 or 1926-S coin, as these two issues have the highest mintage in the series and are the most plentiful in the marketplace. You should be able to find a nice About Uncirculated (AU-50-58) or Mint State 60 coin in your price range (assuming your price range is close to $100).

Seeking out a graded example is certainly sound advice. The issue here is that many Oregon Trail Memorial coins in the AU to MS-60 range do not justify the cost of today's grading fees, and lots of attractive coins remain raw/uncertified. Yes, it's true that counterfeit coins are out there, but they are in the minority. If you work with a reputable dealer and stay away from too-good-to-be-true bargains (they're likely not what they appear to be), you should be OK.

Of course, a bit of self-education before you shop is always a good policy. Familiarize yourself with what a genuine Oregon Trail half dollar looks like (especially its details) - carry a picture with you when shopping at a coin show or coin shop - images of genuine coins and known counterfeits can be helpful. There have been multiple discussions about counterfeit Oregon Trail half dollars here on CCF - read them all!

I'm sorry if my suggestions amount to more effort than you wanted. I don't believe in shortcuts when building a collection - I believe a collector needs to learn about what they want to collect and understand what they are buying as they make their purchases.

I wish you happy hunting and the best of luck!

Thank you for advice. I don't know anything about grading/conditions. It's all "WOW, pretty-pretty good, average, poor, ewww yuck." And the occasional, "that looks cool" (for the tones or marks). I don't think I'll ever be interested in graded coins. I had bought a graded Morgan dollar once, but opened the case to put in my normal coin holders.

I will look for 1926 or 1926-S coins and do my best to research it.

@The Silver Searcher

Please do post! Here, if possible. Would like to see.

@Dearborn That's a nice one. Grats

Thanks - I think that there is a tiny bit of gunk below the date. I'm tossed as to acetone it or not.......