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Are you ready for the next coin? I bet you have all seen this. It is the prettiest coin ever. One of these days, I shall purchase one!

The Oregon Trail Half Dollar is one of the most exquisite designs in the commemorative coin series. But is sometimes used as the best illustration of the abuses that started to occur in commemorative coin programs.

1926 Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar

In 1926, the Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar was first issued to honor people who had traversed the western portion of the trail in the middle of the 1800s. Afterwards, it was minted once more in 1928, 1933–1934, and 1936–1939.

On the obverse design, a vintage Conestoga wagon pulled by oxen crosses the brow of a hill and heads toward the setting sun. Obverse inscriptions are: IN GOD WE TRUST, OREGON TRAIL MEMORIAL, and the date 1926

A full-length image of an Indian wearing a headdress, blanket, and bow may be seen on the reverse. He raises his left hand as though to warn the people in the East. A map of the United States with the Oregon Trail highlighted is displayed in the background. The reverse inscriptions are UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and HALF DOLLAR.

Source¹

In an effort to make as much money as possible, the coins were struck with eight different dates between 1926 and 1939 at three separate mint locations for various values.

The program's maximum allowed mintage was a whopping 6 million pieces, the highest authorization for commemorative coin to date. Coins were made at the San Francisco and Philadelphia mints during the first year of issue, and the Oregon Trail Memorial Association sold them for one dollar apiece.

The Association asked for more coins to be produced in later years and from various mints because the law authorizing the coins did not specify a time limit or mint. Additional coins would be struck at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco mints in 1928, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, and 1939. Coin prices ranged from $1.50 to $2.00 to $1.60.per piece. The last two years were offered as complete sets from all three mints, for $6.25, and then $7.50 a set.

The first commemorative coin produced by the Denver Mint was the 1933 version.
Source²

In the end, only 264,419 Oregon Trail Half Dollars were sold, despite the large variety of issues that were produced. Even with certain smaller mintages, collectors can still obtain most coins nowadays. Certain issues are offered at relatively affordable prices in extraordinarily high grades, like the one below.

The current price of this 1926 Oregon Memorial Half Dollar MS-62 PGS is $329.99.

The Oregon Trial coin's reverse was designed solely by Laura Gardin Fraser (September 14, 1889 – August 13, 1966), an American sculptor, who is married to sculptor James Earle Fraser. James Earle Fraser (November 4, 1876 – October 11, 1953) is an American sculptor whose famous work is the 1913 Buffalo Nickel. Both him and his wife Laura work on the obverse of the Oregon Trail.

Reference
https://www.usmint.gov/coins/coin-medal-programs/commemorative-coins/oregon-trail-memorial-half
¹https://www.apmex.com/product/97082/1926-oregon-trail-memorial-half-dollar-ms-65-pcgs
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces9258.html
²https://www.apmex.com/product/98892/1933-d-oregon-trail-commem-half-dollar-ms-65-pcgs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Gardin_Fraser
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earle_Fraser_(sculptor)

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