Classic Commemoratives
The Unites States Commemorative program began in 1892. This program was designed to honor various American places, events, institutions and people. On this date the US Mint released its first coin, the Columbian Exposition Half Dollar. This coin was designed to honor the 400 year anniversary of the Columbian Exposition of 1492 – the date that Christopher Columbus discovered America. From this date until 1954, the United States produced “Classic Commemoratives. “ In 1954, the United States Mint stopped producing commemoratives. Then in 1982, the Modern Commemoratives program commenced.
These coins are listed below:
| Coin (denomination) | Date(s) | Commemorates |
| Columbian Exposition ($0.50) | 1892-1893 | 400 year anniversary of Discover of America |
| Columbian Exposition ($0.25) | 1893 | 400 year anniversary of Discover of America |
| Lafayette ($1.00) | 1900 | General Lafayette |
| Louisa Purchase Exposition ($1.00) | 1903 | Louisiana Purchase |
| Lewis and Clark Exposition ($1.00) | 1904-1905 | Lewis and Clark |
| Panama-Pacific Exposition ($0.50) | 1915 | Opening of the Panama Canal |
| Panama-Pacific Exposition ($1.00) | 1915 | Opening of the Panama Canal |
| Panama-Pacific Exposition ($2.50) | 1915 | Opening of the Panama Canal |
| Panama-Pacific Exposition ($50.00) | 1915 | Opening of the Panama Canal |
| McKinley Memorial ($1.00) | 1916-1917 | President McKinley’s Birthplace |
| Illinois Centennial ($0.50) | 1918 | 100-Year Anniversary of Illinois Admission |
| Main Centennial ($0.50) | 1920 | 100-Year Anniversary of Maine Admission |
| Pilgrim Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1920-1921 | 300-Year Anniversary of Pilgrims Landing |
| Missouri Centennial ($0.50) | 1921 | 100-Year Anniversary of Missouri Admission |
| Alabama Centennial ($0.50) | 1921 | 100-Year Anniversary of Alabama Admission |
| Grant Memorial ($0.50) | 1922 | Ulysses S Grant’s Birth |
| Grant Memorial ($1.00) | 1922 | Ulysses S Grant’s Birth |
| Monroe Doctrine ($0.50) | 1923 | 100-Year Anniversary of Monroe Doctrine |
| Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1924 | 300-Year Anniversary of Settlement of H-W Lexington Concord |
| Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1925 | 150-Anniversary of Two Famous Battles |
| Stone Mountain Memorial ($0.50) | 1925 | Confederates on Stone Mountain |
| California Diamond Jubilee ($0.50) | 1925 | 75-Year Anniversary of California Admission |
| Fort Vancouver Centennial ($0.50) | 1925 | 100-Year Anniversary of Fort Vancouver |
| Sesquicentennial of American Independence ($0.50) | 1926 | 150-Year Anniversary of Signing of Declaration of Independence |
| Sesquicentennial of American Independence ($2.50) | 1926 | 150-Year Anniversary of Signing of Declaration of Independence |
| Oregon Trail Memorial ($0.50) | 1926-1939 | Oregon Trail |
| Vermont Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1927 | 150-Year Anniversary of Bennington Battle |
| Hawaiian Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1928 | 150-Year Anniversary of Hawaiian Arrival by |
| Captain Cook Maryland Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1934 | 300-Year Anniversary of Founding of Mryland |
| Texas Independent Centennial ($0.50) | 1934-1938 | Independence of Texas in 1836 |
| Daniel Boone Bicentennial ($0.50) | 1934-1938 | 200-Year Anniversary of .D. Boone’s Birth |
| Connecticut Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1935 | 300-Year Anniversary of Founding of CN |
| Arkansas Centennial ($0.50) | 1935-1939 | 100-Year Anniversary of Admission |
| Hudson, N.Y., Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1935 | 150-Year Anniversary of Hudson, NY |
| California Pacific Intl. Exposition ($0.50) | 1935-1936 | Exploration of California |
| Old Spanish Trail ($0.50) | 1935 | 400-Year Anniversary of Trek Over Old Spanis Trail |
| Providence-Rhode Island Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1936 | 300-Year Anniversary of Rhode Island |
| Cleveland Centennial /Great Lakes Exposition ($0.50) | 1936 | 100-Year Anniversary of Cleveland, OH |
| Wisconsin Territorial Centennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 100-Year Anniversary of Wisconsin |
| Long Island Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1936 | 300-Year Anniversary of Long Island |
| York County, Maine, Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1936 | 300-Year Anniversary of York County, ME |
| Bridgeport, Connecticut, Centennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 100-Year Anniversary of Bridgeport, CT |
| Lynchburg, VA, Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 150-Year Anniversary of Lynchburg, Virginia |
| Elgin, Illinois, Centennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 100-Year Anniversary of Elgin, Illinois |
| Albany, New York, Charter ($0.50) | 1936 | 250-Year Anniversary of Albany Charter |
| San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge ($0.50) | 1936 | Oakland Bay Bridge Opening |
| Columbia, SC, Sesquicentennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 150-Year Anniversary of Columbia, SC |
| Delaware Tercentenary ($0.50) | 1936 | 300-Year Anniversary of Delaware |
| Battle of Gettysburg, Anniversary ($0.50) | 1936 | 75-Year Anniversary of Battle of Gettysburg |
| Norfolk Virginia, Bicentennial ($0.50) | 1936 | 200-Year Anniversary of Norfolk, Virginia |
| Roanoke Island, NC 350th Ann. ($0.50) | 1937 | 350-Year Anniversary, Roanoke Island, NC |
| Battle of Antietam Anniversary ($0.50) | 1937 | 75-Year Anniversary of Civil War Battle |
| New Rochelle, NY 250th ($0.50) | 1938 | 250-Year Anniversary of New Rochelle, NY |
| Iowa, Centennial ($0.50) | 1946 | 100-Year Anniversary of Iowa |
| Booker T. Washington Memorial ($0.50) | 1946-1951 | Teaching of Booker T. Washington |
| Carver/Washington Commem. ($0.50) | 1951-1954 | Booker T Washington and George Washington Carver |