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Entry Details
Coin Date: 1954-PDS Denomination (Short): Set Denomination (Long): Half dollar Variety: Washington-Carver Desg: MS Mint Mark: Various Composition: 90% silver; 10% copper Mintage: 12,006 Strike Type: Business Coinage Type: Classic Commemorative Coinage Years: 1951-1954 Mint Location: Various Diameter: 30.6 Fineness: 0.9 Weight (Grams): 12.5 Weight (Ounces): 0.36169 Designer: Isaac Scott Hathaway Edge: Reeded Obverse Description: Features overlapping portraits of George W. Carver and Booker T. Washington with the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN GOD WE TRUST, and E PLURIBUS UNUM on the outer periphery. The inner periphery bears the names of those honored along with the words HALF DOLLAR. The date is presented to the left of the portraits at 9 o'clock. Reverse Description: Depicts a map of the United States with the letters U.S.A. overprinted. The periphery bears the words FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL * AMERICANISM. General Notes:
The 1954 Washington-Carver half dollars mark the fourth and final year of this commemorative type honoring social pioneers Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Both were contemporaries of each other, with the former -- great author and presidential pioneer and the latter -- renowned inventor and scientist. The coin bearing their jugate portrait was designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, who designed the earlier Booker T. Washington half dollar and became the first African American to design -- U.S. coin.
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The typical 1954 Washington-Carver half dollar is known in uncirculated condition between the grades of MS62-65. Examples grading MS66 are scarce and pieces grading MS67 or higher are extremely rare particularly because of the sweeping, flat surface on the reverse, which depicts -- geographical map of the United States.
