The 1925 California Statehood Diamond Jubilee (75th Anniversary) Half Dollar did not suffer sales shortcomings to the same extent as the 1925 Fort Vancouver Centennial Half Dollar, but it was not immune to sales difficulties and a high melt count (over 40% of coins struck).
The California Statehood coin had an authorized mintage of 300,000 half dollars. The coins were to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of California's admission to the Union as the US' 31st state; California was admitted on September 9, 1850. The initial production run of 150,000 coins (plus coins for assay) was executed in the second half of August 1925; in time for the Jubilee celebration that was held in San Francisco September 5-12, 1925.
Unfortunately for the San Francisco Citizens' Committee, the celebration's organizer and coin sponsor, the coins, priced at $1.00 each, were not strong sellers during or after the celebration and 63,606 half dollars were eventually returned to the Mint to be melted. The net mintage of the California was 86,394 coins - ~29% of the 300,000 coin authorization.
As I discussed in previous Melting Pot posts, it's somewhat hard to fault a group when it sells a good volume of coins - in this case over 85,000 - but expectations were so much higher that disappointment in the sales total was/is understandable. IMO, the Committee had a sense that the 300,000 coin authorization was a bit optimistic, hence its initial order of 150,000 coins (half of what was available to them). Though the 150,000 coin order also proved more than what could be sold, I believe the reduced order did demonstrate a "reigning in" of unrealistic expectations that might have been held by some Committee members.
1925 California Statehood Diamond Jubilee Half Dollar
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more on the California half dollars, see:
Commems Collection.For a list of posts specifically about the Design Details of the 1925 California Statehod Diamond Jubilee Half Dollar, see:
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Design Discussions - 1925 California Statehod Diamond JubileeI wonder how these would have sold?
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It Should Have Been Gold
Posted 06/15/2023 11:43 am
