Only 20,053 of these 1921 Pilgrim Commemoratives were minted. This coin has AU Details, and has a nicely toned color. We are not calling it "AU" as a grade because it is unclear if there is sufficient luster remaining to qualify. The coin would likely be slabbed somewhere between XF45 and AU50.
This listing is for the photographed 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Silver Commemorative Half Dollar. This commemorative half dollar was struck in 1920, and 1921. 1921 is the scarcer variety of this coin, making it highly sought after by collectors.
The Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar or Pilgrim half dollar was a commemorative fifty-cent coin struck by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1920 and 1921 to mark the 300th anniversary (tercentenary) of the arrival of the Pilgrims in North America. It was designed by Cyrus E. Dallin.
Massachusetts Congressman Joseph Walsh was involved in joint federal and state efforts to mark the anniversary. He saw a reference to a proposed Maine Centennial half dollar and realized that a coin could be issued for the Pilgrim anniversary in support of the observances at Plymouth, Massachusetts. The bill moved quickly through the legislative process and became the Act of May 12, 1920.
Sculptor James Earle Fraser criticized some aspects of the design, but the Treasury approved it anyway. After a promising start, sales tailed off, and tens of thousands of coins from each year were returned to the Philadelphia Mint for melting. Numismatist Q. David Bowers has cited the fact that the coins were struck in the second year as the start of a trend to force collectors to buy more than one piece in order to have a complete set.
Authentic 1921 Pilgrim Tercentenary Silver Commemorative Half Dollar - AU Details, Nicely Toned - Pilgrim Half Dollar Commemorative 1921