In 2014, the National Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated its 75th Anniversary as Congress authorized the striking of a 3-coin set – a Clad Half Dollar, a Silver Dollar, and a Five Dollar Gold coin. The Mint exceeded its requirements to create a concave silver dollar and gold coin – all three of the coins were concave in shape and all three shared the same design. This permitted even collectors on a limited budget to obtain these unique (for the US Mint) designed coins.
The designs were very similar with only size, metal, and denomination separating them. The obverse was designed by Cassie MacFarland, who won a competition, and it was engraved by the US Mint’s Don Everhard.
The obverse design depicted, appropriately, an open baseball glove. In the palm of the glove in a circular pattern is the word “LIBERTY,” at the upper portion. The lower portion completes the circular design with the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST.” Below that is the date of issue “2014.”
The reverse was designed and sculpted again by Don Everhard, and it naturally depicts a baseball. Between the seams of the baseball are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” in larger font and the motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” below that in smaller font. Beneath the bottom seam is the denomination “HALF DOLLAR.”
The Uncirculated version was struck at the Denver Mint and bears the “D” mintmark. It was also struck in the Proof finish at the San Francisco Mint and those coins bear the “S” mintmark.
(A 2014-D National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The Congress of the United States authorized that a maximum of 750,000 coins were to be struck, across both finishes.
(A 2014-S National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The Uncirculated Clad Half Dollar sold 176,446 coins, while the Proof version sold 257,173 pieces.
The Silver Dollar coin in the National Baseball Hall of Fame set bears the exact same design as the Clad Half Dollar. Obviously, these coins are made of Silver, not Clad, are larger in size and on the reverse the denomination is “ONE DOLLAR,” instead of HALF DOLLAR. Otherwise, these coins are identical to the Clad Half Dollars. The obverse was designed by Cassie MacFarland, who won an open competition that was voted on by National Baseball Hall of Fame members. The obverse was, again, engraved by Don Everhard, who also designed and engraved the reverse. Again, these were the United States Mint’s first experiences striking concave coins.
The differences in metal, size and denomination between the coins were obvious but the coins carried that same unique shape and common design. Congress had authorized 400,000 of the Silver Dollar coins to be struck.
(A 2014-P National Baseball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The US Mint struck the Uncirculated version at the Philadelphia Mint, and it bears the “P” mintmark. 131,910 of these Uncirculated coins were struck and sold. There was a Proof version, which was also struck at the Philadelphia Mint and 267,847 of these proof coins were sold.
(A 2014-P National Baseball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The entire authorized mintage of 400,000 coins was SOLD OUT!
The final coin in the set was a Five Dollar Gold piece. It, too, would be concave in design, share in the exact same design on both sides, utilizing both Cassie MacFarland’s design as well as Don Everhard’s design. But these coins would differ in size, metal, and denomination only.
(A 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame Five Dollar Gold, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
The West Point minting facility would strike BOTH the Uncirculated and Proof versions of this Five Dollar Gold coin. The Uncirculated would sell 15,674 pieces, while the Proof version would sell 32,428 coins of its 50,000 authorized mintage.
(A 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame Five Dollar Gold, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
Knowing that a lot of young people are interested in baseball, the US Mint also offered a 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Young Collector’s Set. This set included the Uncirculated version of the Clad Half Dollar in a tri-fold presentation holder as well as historical information about America’s National Pastime – the game of Baseball – and it also included information about the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.
| Date | Mintmark | Denomination | Type | Mintage | Value |
| 2014 | D | Clad Half Dollar | Uncirculated | 142,405 | $40 |
| 2014 | S | Clad Half Dollar | Proof | 249,049 | $40 |
| 2014 | P | Silver Dollar | Uncirculated | 131,910 | $90 |
| 2014 | P | Silver Dollar | Proof | 267,847 | $80 |
| 2014 | W | Five Dollar Gold | Uncirculated | 17,674 | $575 |
| 2014 | W | Five Dollar Gold | Proof | 32,428 | $590 |
| 2014 | D | Clad Half Dollar | Young Collectors Set | Included | $45 |
