Celebrating the Basketball Hall of Fame
On December 21, 1891, Dr. James Naismith, an instructor of physical education, introduced basketball to his students at Springfield College, then called the YMCA International Training School, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Within three years, the sport had spread to more than a dozen countries. Founded in 1959 in Springfield, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame preserves basketball’s history and honors notable players, coaches, and contributors, as well as its inventor.
Authorized by Congress, by Public Law 115-343, the Basketball Hall of Fame coinage would comprise the first colorized curved commemorative coins issued by the United States Mint: a clad half dollar, a silver dollar, and a five-dollar gold coin. Surcharges are to be paid to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to fund an endowment and support expanded operations and educational programming.
Coin Design for All Three Coins
The obverse depicts a man, a woman, and a man in a wheelchair reaching for a basketball. Behind these three figures is a basketball net. On the upper left and center periphery is the word “LIBERTY,” and on the right periphery is the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST.” The date is shown horizontally below the phrase “2020”. This obverse was designed by Justin Kunz and sculpted by Michael Gaudioso.
The reverse shows a basketball passing through a hoop, with part of the ball already below the rim. The outer periphery encompasses two phrases and the denomination as “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and, on this coin, “HALF DOLLAR.” The reverse is designed by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill.
All three coins are curved.
2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Clad Half Dollar
The uncirculated clad half dollar was struck at the Denver Mint and bears a “D” mintmark on its obverse. The proof clad half dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint and bears an “S” mintmark. The San Francisco Mint also struck coins with the color applied. 32,614 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Clad Half Dollars were sold.
The coin featured an orange basketball with black ribs, a red hoop rim, and a white net. Many collectors preferred it to the uncolorized version as it had more eye appeal. The maximum authorized mintage for these coins was 750,000.
2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Silver Dollar
The U.S. Mint issued a 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Silver Dollar in uncirculated and proof conditions. This silver dollar was also colorized. In the colorized version, the basketball’s ribs are black, and the net’s rim is red. The Philadelphia Mint struck these coins, and each bears a “P” mintmark. The United States Congress authorized a maximum mintage of 400,000 coins.
2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative $5 Gold Coin
The final coin was the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative $5 Gold Coin. The U.S. Mint struck both uncirculated and proof versions of these coins at its West Point minting facility, and both bear a “W” mintmark. Congress had authorized a maximum mintage of 50,000 coins.
Add these coins to your collection and explore other U.S. silver modern commemorative coins and modern U.S. gold commemorative coins.
