Top Six most beautiful Half Dollar Classic Commemorative Designs of all time.

[WingedLiberty1]

There is no right or wrong answer to this. Just curious what you all think are the best Half Dollar Classic Commemorative Designs of all time.

 

This is my list:

 

(Note these are not my coins, I just wanted to post some examples of the various designs)

 

#1. Texas

 

#2. Panama Pacific

 

#3. Oregon Trail

 

#4. Stone Mountain

 

#5. San Diego

 

#6. Connecticut

 

 

Would you pick a different top six?

 

 

 

[Coindude]

The only one that wouldn't be in my top six is the Stone Mountain but I would have to think about what I would replace it with. You nailed my top two and my number 3 is the Charter Oak.

[BillJones]

I go with conventional wisdom and place the Oregon Trail half dollar as #1. The Texas is attractive and given the large range of topics covered in a small space, the reverse is remarkable; but I still think that the Oregon design is nicer.

 

BTW your coins are beautiful. The are much nicer than some of the pieces for which some people pay very high prices for questionable toning.

[dimefreak]

#1 San Diego

#2 Oregon Trail

#3 Hudson ( A mythological creature on a coin? Shaweet! Would be number one if I could find a full strike)

#4 Texas

#5 Vermont ( Obverse boring Reverse Awesome!)

#6 Wisconsin

 

Unfortunately there are some butt ugly boring ones as well which makes it hard to stomach completing a set.... $1500+ for a decent Monroe? Yuck!

[WingedLiberty1]

I go with conventional wisdom and place the Oregon Trail half dollar as #1. The Texas is attractive and given the large range of topics covered in a small space, the reverse is remarkable; but I still think that the Oregon design is nicer.

 

BTW your coins are beautiful. The are much nicer than some of the pieces for which some people pay very high prices for questionable toning.

 

 

These are not my coins by the way! I just wanted to post some examples of the designs.

[Walkerfan]

1.Oregon Trail

2. Texas

3. Pan Pacific

4. San Diego.

 

Not sure about #5 maybe Boone or Bay Bridge.

[physics-fan3.14]

The Pan-Pac obverse has always been one of my favorites.

[Mozin]

Here is my list, and these are owned by me.

 

 

#1 Oregon Trail

 

#2 Boone

 

#3 Hawaii

 

#4 Pilgrim

 

#5 Panama-Pacific

 

#6 Missouri

 

 

[messydesk]

No idea how I'd rank them, but here are my picks today.

 

 

I'd post my Gettysburg, but I don't have one.

[BKW]

Oregon

Illinois (Lincoln)

Texas

San Diego

Isabella

 

[lehigh96]

My top 5 are completely different from those listed by others, here goes!

 

1) Antietam

2) Vermont

3) San Diego

4) Lynchburg

5) Pilgrim

[e1cnr]

Are you asking about white, toned, well-worn (lowball) examples?

[Walkerfan]

Are you asking about white, toned, well-worn (lowball) examples?

 

I think that he's just referring to the design elements but great color is always a bonus.

[Coindude]

Just remembered what my 6 would have been, the Vermont and that's based solely on the Panther on the reverse.

[WingedLiberty1]

I ran this same thread on the PCGS board and got a lot more votes ... so I thought I would post a consensus rank based on those votes. I assigned a first place a numeric 6, second place 5, ..., sixth place 1 -- and then totaled the numbers for a consensus ranking. When people just listed 6 coins without a rank, I gave all listed 1 vote. If people listed fewer than 6, I gave their top rank 6 down to where their list stopped. What I should do is add in all the votes given in this NGC thread to the PCGS thread vote totals but I was too lazy.

 

So here is the CONSENSUS VOTE for the most Beautiful Classic Commemorative Half Dollar Design (from the PCGS board votes)

 

#1 Oregon = 4 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 3 + 6 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 59

#2 Texas = 6 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 37

#3 PanPac = 5 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 31

#4 Connecticut = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 3 + 4 = 25

#5 Pilgrim = 5 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 2 + 3 = 22

 

#6 Hawaiian = 6 + 4 + 1 + 5 = 16

#7 SanDiego = 2 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 14

#8 Illinois = 1 + 6 + 5 = 12

#9 BayBridge = 4 + 5 + 1 = 10

#10 California = 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 9

 

#11 StoneMtn = 3 + 3 + 2 = 8

#12 Columbian = 5 = 5

#13 Boone = 5 = 5

#14 Gettysburg = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3

#15 Antietam = 1 + 1 = 2

 

#16 Hudson = 2 = 2

#17 Maine = 2 = 2

#18 Vancouver = 1 = 1

#19 Missouri = 1 = 1

#20 Vermont = 1 = 1

 

The Oregon was not only the top vote getter (by a longshot) but the most often mentioned (14 times) .

The second most mentioned (11 times) was the Connecticut (even though the total votes only took the Connecticut to forth place.

 

The Texas and Panama-Pacific were high vote getters and mentioned often and came in solidly second and third, respectively.

 

The Pilgrim has fewer mentions, but enough high votes to push it to 5th place.

 

I am not surprised about the consensus top 5, but I am surprised the Hawaiian made it to #6 -- clearly there are some big fans of that design.

 

The SanDiego, Illinois, BayBridge, and California rounded out the consensus top 10.

 

I am also surprised the Stone Mountain didn't get more votes and could only limp into 11th place, as I always thought that design was beautiful, but perhaps the high mintage took away some of the mystique.

 

Consensus Rank #1 through #5

 

Consensus Rank #6 through #10

 

Consensus Rank #11 through #15

 

Consensus Rank #16 through #20

 

[WingedLiberty1]

And how about these for Honorable Mention ?

 

Norfolk, Roanoke, Delaware, NewRochelle, Isabella Quarter (not technically included in the voting)

 

 

 

[Nutmeg Coin]

PanPac

Vermont

Grant Star

Boone

Connecticut

California

 

For me the criteria for determining some sort of ranking of quality of these commems. would be honest representation of the history behind each; the aesthetic quality of each true to both the best descriptions of the person or unique character portrayed. As such the current reality of a particular classical commemorative may or may not be relevant. How do you reconcile the Bridgeport commemorative with the national crime city it has become?

[okbustchaser]

I'm obviously in the minority--in fact, I may be unique--but I have never particularly liked the Oregon. The wagon train reverse is OK, but the Indian on the front has never done anything for me.

 

My choices would probably be

 

Texas

Pan Pac

Connecticut

California

Bay Bridge

Pilgrim

 

with the last three trading places back and forth depending on the day.

[johnny9434]

the only one i dont care for is the stone mtn. half. id replace that with the illinois or pan pacific half. jmo

[shirohniichan]

I ran this same thread on the PCGS board and got a lot more votes ... so I thought I would post a consensus rank based on those votes. I assigned a first place a numeric 6, second place 5, ..., sixth place 1 -- and then totaled the numbers for a consensus ranking. When people just listed 6 coins without a rank, I gave all listed 1 vote. If people listed fewer than 6, I gave their top rank 6 down to where their list stopped. What I should do is add in all the votes given in this NGC thread to the PCGS thread vote totals but I was too lazy.

 

So here is the CONSENSUS VOTE for the most Beautiful Classic Commemorative Half Dollar Design (from the PCGS board votes)

 

#1 Oregon = 4 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 4 + 6 + 3 + 6 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 59

#2 Texas = 6 + 4 + 6 + 6 + 5 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 37

#3 PanPac = 5 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 2 + 4 + 4 = 31

#4 Connecticut = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 1 + 6 + 3 + 4 = 25

#5 Pilgrim = 5 + 3 + 3 + 6 + 2 + 3 = 22

 

#6 Hawaiian = 6 + 4 + 1 + 5 = 16

#7 SanDiego = 2 + 4 + 6 + 2 = 14

#8 Illinois = 1 + 6 + 5 = 12

#9 BayBridge = 4 + 5 + 1 = 10

#10 California = 3 + 1 + 2 + 3 = 9

 

#11 StoneMtn = 3 + 3 + 2 = 8

#12 Columbian = 5 = 5

#13 Boone = 5 = 5

#14 Gettysburg = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3

#15 Antietam = 1 + 1 = 2

 

#16 Hudson = 2 = 2

#17 Maine = 2 = 2

#18 Vancouver = 1 = 1

#19 Missouri = 1 = 1

#20 Vermont = 1 = 1

 

The Oregon was not only the top vote getter (by a longshot) but the most often mentioned (14 times) .

The second most mentioned (11 times) was the Connecticut (even though the total votes only took the Connecticut to forth place.

 

The Texas and Panama-Pacific were high vote getters and mentioned often and came in solidly second and third, respectively.

 

The Pilgrim has fewer mentions, but enough high votes to push it to 5th place.

 

I am not surprised about the consensus top 5, but I am surprised the Hawaiian made it to #6 -- clearly there are some big fans of that design.

 

The SanDiego, Illinois, BayBridge, and California rounded out the consensus top 10.

 

I am also surprised the Stone Mountain didn't get more votes and could only limp into 11th place, as I always thought that design was beautiful, but perhaps the high mintage took away some of the mystique.

 

Consensus Rank #1 through #5

 

Consensus Rank #6 through #10

 

Consensus Rank #11 through #15

 

Consensus Rank #16 through #20

 

Holy carp! Your coin makes even the Columbian design look good! :Q

[jpcienkus]

I really like the Columbian. Especially the reverse!

 

Lot's of great choices for classic commems. It's hard to argue with the choices.

 

1) Oregon Trail

2) San Diego

3) Texas

4) Antietam

5) Pilgrim

6) Connecticut

[SkyMan]

1 - Oregon Trail,

2 - Connecticut,

3 - Pilgrim,

4 - California,

5 - The reverse of the Monroe.