Coin profile
Reported standard-issue mintage / distribution: Multiple Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco issues; net distributions vary
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1946–1951 Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar
The story behind this coin
This program honored educator Booker T. Washington and was intended to support memorial work at his birthplace. The reverse traces his life “from slave cabin to Hall of Fame.” Large first-year production was followed by smaller three-mint sets, extending the series through 1951 and creating eighteen regular date-and-mint issues.
Design and symbolism
Obverse: Booker T. Washington.
Reverse: Hall of Fame and a log cabin.
Regular issues and mintages
| Regular issue | Mint | Estimated net distribution / collector mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Philadelphia | 700,546 |
| 1946-D | Denver | 50,000 |
| 1946-S | San Francisco | 500,279 |
| 1947 | Philadelphia | 6,000 |
| 1947-D | Denver | 6,000 |
| 1947-S | San Francisco | 6,000 |
| 1948 | Philadelphia | 8,005 |
| 1948-D | Denver | 8,005 |
| 1948-S | San Francisco | 8,005 |
| 1949 | Philadelphia | 6,004 |
| 1949-D | Denver | 6,004 |
| 1949-S | San Francisco | 6,004 |
| 1950 | Philadelphia | 6,004 |
| 1950-D | Denver | 6,004 |
| 1950-S | San Francisco | 62,091 |
| 1951 | Philadelphia | 210,082 |
| 1951-D | Denver | 7,004 |
| 1951-S | San Francisco | 7,004 |
1946 production versus distribution: The Mint struck 1,000,546 Philadelphia, 200,113 Denver, and 500,279 San Francisco pieces including assay coins. Contemporary records did not preserve exact melt totals by mint; the 700,546, 50,000, and 500,279 table figures are published distribution estimates, not the original production totals.
The figures in this 1946–1951 Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar table report the regular collector issues shown for this commemorative. Where sponsors returned unsold coins for melting, the listed quantity reflects net distribution rather than the larger number initially struck.