U.S. Mint Announces First Colorized Coin in Basketball Commemorative

2019 was the year of first-evers from the United States Mint. However, 2020 has seen some decent releases in the same vein although not as frequent. One of them has not yet been made available, but plans and dates are confirmed. What are we talking about? The Mint’s first-ever colorized coin.

To fit the narrative of their already released Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Series coins, they have decided to release two colorized coins to honor the 60th Anniversary of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 28th. Those coins, a curved colorized silver dollar and curved colorized clad half dollar, will feature the same designs as the previously released commemorative coins but will provide color in some of the design elements.

The obverse design depicts the hands-on action of the game, featuring a scene that displays a struggle for the possession of the ball and the determination and skill it takes to overcome the opponent. The three players on the design are representative of the diverse people around the world who are brought together by a sport like basketball. The design of the arms of the players is “intentionally elongated, just slightly,” to display the physical and mental requirements needed to be successful in the game. Other than the primary figures, there is a rim and net displayed in the background as the inscriptions “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2020” can be seen around the upper and side curve of the coin’s rim.

The reverse design features a basketball on its way through a net with “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “HALF DOLLAR” featured along the top portion of the outer edge of the coin.

The half dollar produced at San Francisco will have color depicted on the reverse with an orange basketball with its traditional black lines passing through the net. The basketball rim and net are also colorized, presenting a different orange hue than the basketball with the traditional white net. The remainder of the reverse design and the obverse is left plain. The product limit for the colorized half dollar is 75,000 and retails at $55.00.

The silver dollar produced at Philadelphia will also be marked by color but in a much more simplistic way. While the rim, net, and black lines of the basketball are colorized, the remainder of the reverse will stay plain as well as the obverse. The product limit is also 75,000 with the retail at $95 per unit.