Commems Collection Classic: "Did You Know?" #26 - Silver Commemorative Coin Types By Mint

Years ago, I posted a "Did You Know?"series on the classic-era US commemorative coin program - it was a forerunner to my "Quick Bits" series. I had always planned a few more "Did You Know?" posts, but they were left behind as I moved on to other endeavors. I came across my notes on these "forgotten tales" recently and have decided to pull my thoughts together and post them.

Here's an Index to my previous "Did You Know?" posts:

- Index To "Did You Know?" Series On US Commemorative Coins


First up is a look at the Mint facilities that struck classic-era silver commemorative coins...

It's common knowledge among collectors of the classic series of silver US commemorative coins that there are 50 design types and 144 total coins (all dates, all mint marks). Lesser known is the by-Mint breakdown of how many of the coin Types were struck by each facility (i.e, Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco). Here's the breakdown:

Mint Facilities by Type:

Philadelphia: 44 of 50 Types

The Philadelphia Mint struck all Types except for these six:

- 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition half dollars (*)
- 1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollars (*)
- 1925 California Statehood Diamond Jubilee half dollars (*)
- 1925 Ft. Vancouver Centennial half dollars (*)
- 1935-36 California-Pacific International Exposition half dollars
- 1936 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Opening half dollars (*)

Note: The coins marked with a (*) indicate those struck exclusively at San Francisco.


San Francisco: 15 of 50 Types

The San Francisco Branch Mint struck only the following silver classic-era US commemorative coin Types:

- 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition half dollars
- 1923 Monroe Doctrine Centennial half dollars
- 1925 California Statehood Diamond Jubilee half dollars
- 1925 Ft. Vancouver Centennial half dollars
- Oregon Trail Memorial (multiple years)
- Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial (multiple years)
- Arkansas Statehood Centennial (multiple years)
- Texas Independence Centennial (multiple years)
- 1936 California-Pacific International Exposition ("San Diego")
- 1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial
- 1936 Cincinnati Music Center Anniversary
- 1936 Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary
- 1936 San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Opening half dollars (*)
- Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial (multiple years)
- George Washington Carver-Booker T. Washington National Memorials (multiple years)


Denver: 10 of 50 Types

The Denver Branch Mint struck the fewest silver US commemorative coin Types during the classic era, producing only the following:

- Oregon Trail Memorial (multiple years)
- Daniel Boone Birth Bicentennial (multiple years)
- Arkansas Statehood Centennial (multiple years)
- Texas Independence Centennial (multiple years)
- 1935 California-Pacific International Exposition ("San Diego")
- 1936 Columbia, SC Sesquicentennial
- 1936 Cincinnati Music Center Anniversary
- 1936 Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary
- Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial (multiple years)
- George Washington Carver-Booker T, Washington National Memorials (multiple years)


In my next "Did You Know?" post, I will take a look at the classic-era silver commemorative coins struck at the various Mint facilities from a full Date and Mint Mark perspective.