Celebrating the National Baseball Hall of Fame
In 2014, the National Baseball Hall of Fame celebrated its 75th Anniversary. Congress authorized the striking of three coins: a clad half dollar, a silver dollar, and a five-dollar gold coin. All three coins were concave and shared the same design. These coins were the first curved (concave/convex) coins ever issued by the United States Mint.
2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar
The designs were very similar, with only size, metal, and denomination separating them. The obverse was designed by Cassie MacFarland, who won a public design competition, and it was engraved by the US Mint’s Don Everhard.
The obverse design depicted 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 by Don Everhard, and it 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 a proof finish at the San Francisco Mint and bears the “S” mintmark. The Congress of the United States authorized that a maximum of 750,000 coins be struck across both finishes. 176,446 uncirculated coins were sold, while 257,173 proof coins were sold.
(A 2014-D National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
(A 2014-S National Baseball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar
The silver dollar coin 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 engraved by Don Everhard, who also designed and engraved the reverse.
The differences in metal, size, and denomination were obvious, but the coins shared the 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. The entire authorized mintage of 400,000 coins was sold out, a feat in itself.
(A 2014-P National Baseball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 Gold Coin
The final coin in the set was a gold coin. It, too, would be concave in design and would have Cassie MacFarland’s and Don Everhard’s designs. These coins would differ only in size, metal, and denomination. The West Point minting facility would strike this gold coin in uncirculated and proof finishes. The uncirculated sold 15,674 pieces, while the proof version sold 32,428 coins of 50,000.
(A 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 Gold Coin, Uncirculated, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
(A 2014-W National Baseball Hall of Fame $5 Gold Coin, Proof, Obverse [left], Reverse [right].)
During this time, the U.S. 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 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. View this coin and other commemorative collectibles in the U.S. silver modern commemorative coins collection and the modern U.S. gold commemorative coins collection.
