Majority of the US coins are commemorative. The practice of commemorating in coin a certain person, event or place as being an integral part in history has been a long tradition even during the time of the Greeks and Romans.
There are two categories of commemorative coins. First, old commemorative coins that begun in 1892. Examples of these coins include the Lincoln coin made for the centennial of his birth. Fifty years after, the Lincoln Memorial replaced the figure in the small cent celebrating his 150th birthday. The great statesman Benjamin Franklin was also shown on the half dollar from 1948 to 1963. In 1922, President Grant’s profile appeared in a souvenir 50 cent coin to commemorate his 100th anniversary.
Modern commemorative coins on the other hand are those that began in the 1980s. Examples are the Library of Congress ten-dollar coin issued in 2000. Also, in the same year, The United States issued the Sacagawea dollar in honor of the woman who helped Lois and Clark in their expeditions.
Another woman featured in the dollar was Susan B. Anthony, the famed suffragette and feminist whose figure was recently shown in 1999. There are also old commemorative coins of her issued from 1979 to 1981.
|
Auctions in eBay
|
| 1925 Stone Mountain Half Dollar 900 Silver Commemorative | |
 |
$26.00 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 38m |
| 1998 Black Revolutionary War Patriots Unc Silver Dollar Commemorative | |
 |
$89.95 Time Remaining: 29d 22h 37m Buy It Now for only: $89.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1892 Columbian Comm 50C NGC MS63 Monster Rainbow Toning Low Start Price | |
 |
$49.95 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1h 5m |
| GEM 2009 P BICENTENNIAL LINCOLN COMMEMORATIVE PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO | |
 |
$85.00 Time Remaining: 5d 19h 19m Buy It Now for only: $85.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1918 Illinois 50C Commemorative NGC MS63 Low Start Price | |
 |
$129.95 Time Remaining: 1h 29m |
| 2004 THOMAS EDISON COMMEMORATIVE PROOF SILVER DOLLAR WITH BOX AND COA | |
 |
$29.97 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 24m |
| 1986 STATUE OF LIBERTY HALF DOLLAR PROOF FREE SHIPPING COMMEM | |
 |
$5.00 Time Remaining: 22d 15h 23m Buy It Now for only: $5.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1936 BU UNCIRCULATED CINCINNATI MUSIC COMMEMORATIVE CENTER OF MUSIC NO RESERVE | |
 |
$242.50 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 57m |
| 2012 STAR SPANGLED BANNER COMMEMORATIVE SILVER COIN WITH MINT BOX COA | |
 |
$36.09 (3 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 6m |
| 1996 PROOF OLYMPIC SWIMMING COMMEM HALF DOLLAR w BOX | |
 |
$44.95 Time Remaining: 29d 14h 33m Buy It Now for only: $44.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1998 Kennedy Collectors Commemorative Set 2 Coins | |
 |
$185.25 (10 Bids) Time Remaining: 3h 22m |
| 2008 P Van Burens Liberty First Spouse Medal PCGS MS68RD | |
 |
$64.95 Time Remaining: 29d 20h 35m Buy It Now for only: $64.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 2011 US Army Gold commemorative Coin Proof Gold 5 dollar coin | |
 |
$449.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 2h 55m |
| 2007 LITTLE ROCK HIGH PROOF SILVER DOLLAR | |
 |
$36.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 28m |
| 2012 1 Star Spangled Banner PCGS PR70 First Strike | |
 |
$144.50 Time Remaining: 27d 48m Buy It Now for only: $144.50 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 2011 W ELIZA JOHNSON FIRST SPOUSE 10 GOLD NGC MS70 | |
 |
$988.99 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 4h 59m |
| 1995 Proof Coin Set Commemorative Civil War Battlefield 90 Silver Dollar Half | |
 |
$41.02 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 1h 5m |
| 5 PCGS Blue Boxes Many Uses FREE SHIPPING | |
 |
$23.00 Time Remaining: 9d 3h 20m Buy It Now for only: $23.00 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |
| 1983 P US XXIII Olympiad Commemorative Uncirculated Silver Coin W Box Papers | |
 |
$27.00 (11 Bids) Time Remaining: 59m |
| 1997 Jackie Robinson Proof Silver Dollar United States Mint Commemorative Coin | |
 |
$86.95 Time Remaining: 14d 23h 52m Buy It Now for only: $86.95 Buy It Now | Add to watch list |