Commemoratives (1982 - Date)

The era of the "modern" commemoratives began in 1982 with the issuance of the George Washington Half Dollar (issued to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth). From 1954 to to 1982, Mint officials hesitated to issue commemorative coins because of the hit-or-miss success of some prior commemoratives and because of problems caused when speculators and manipulators attempted to control the market and prices.