The United States Mint began accepting orders for colorized Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins on August 28, 2020. The colorization will be featured on the reverses (tails) of the Basketball Hall of Fame Silver Dollar and the Basketball Hall of Fame Clad Half Dollar. Mintage is set at 75,000 coins for each denomination.
These historic coins are the first in the Mint’s history to have color applied to their design elements. The reverse design of the colorized silver dollar depicts a basketball with black seams about to pass through a white net, with its rim rendered in a familiar orange hue associated with the sport and the Hall of Fame. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “ONE DOLLAR.”
The reverse design of the colorized half dollar depicts an orange basketball with black seams about to pass through a white net, with the basketball and net’s rim rendered in two distinct shades of the familiar orange hue associated with the sport and the Hall of Fame. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “HALF DOLLAR.”
The obverse (heads) design of all coins in the Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Program portrays the fast pace, intensity, and hands-on action of a basketball game – the constant, competitive struggle for possession of the ball and the skill required to clear the hoop. The design features three players reaching for the ball in unison, reflecting how the sport of basketball has brought together diverse people around the world through a simple, universal, and unifying athletic experience. Their arms are slightly elongated to emphasize the full exertion of physical and mental energy required to excel in this sport. The rim and net are subtle background design elements complementing the three players. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2020.”
A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies each coin. A limited quantity of Certificates of Authenticity for each of the Basketball Hall of Fame Colorized Coins will be hand-signed and numbered by the Mint Director David J. Ryder. The signed and numbered Certificates of Authenticity will be randomly included in shipments for these products from the United States Mint’s fulfillment center.
To learn more about the 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Program, visit the US mint website.
If you wonder what country was the first to issue colorized coins and how all this started, don’t miss our article “How Colour Made Their Way Onto Coins”.
By the way, in 2013 the US Mint issued their first curved coin, dedicated to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Along with the rest of the coin program, these coins can also be found on Cosmos of Collectibles.
And here you come to the official website of the legendary Basketball Hall of Fame!
