Collecting Classic Commemoratives

What is a Commemorative Coin? “In general, a commemorative coin is one which was produced with the primary intention of creating special souvenir to be sold at a premium above face value to commemorate an anniversary, special occasion, or other event.”- Q. David Bowers. Why Collect Classic Commems? If you have an appreciation for beautifully designed coins with a unique tie to historical events in American history, I encourage you to research and consider collecting coins from the Silver Commemorative series. Issues from this series offer something for the collector in all of us; fantastic designs, low mintages, purposeful minting, high-grade survivorship, and affordability. Collecting a type set of these can be a rewarding experience that really makes you feel like you are putting away a piece of history with every issue. Most issues in the grade range between MS64 and MS65 run between $200 and 400. However, if you enjoy a challenge, some of the keys like the Lafayette $1, Alabama, Hawaiian and Spanish Tail Half Dollars are much tougher to find and considerably more costly. Which Commemoratives Should I Collect? As always, collect what you love! Many collectors who aren’t interested in building the complete set or even smaller type set, break down the series into issues from their home state or ones that have personal historical significance. Some issues like the Oregon Trail, Texas Centennial and Arkansas offer multiple mints and dates that can be subsets unto themselves. Both PCGS and NGC offer different ways to create registries for classic commems including the full 144 Piece Mintmark & Variety Set, the 50 Piece Type Set, and even specific multi-year issues as mentioned above. Here at DLRC, we love the Classic Commemorative series and strive to have choice examples of every issue in stock at all times. Currently we have over 250 selections in various grade and price ranges available on our website. Take a minute to browse through these listings and contact us for more details on any that strike your fancy. We add new, hand-selected items every week, so keep our commemorative coin page bookmarked and add specific ones you are searching for to your online want list. With a little bit of research and evaluation, this can become a series you can collect and enjoy for a lifetime!