1925 Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar

The story behind this coin

Authorized as a memorial fundraising coin, the Stone Mountain half dollar became one of the largest and most controversial classic commemorative programs. Gutzon Borglum portrayed Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, while regional sales campaigns and counterstamps were used to promote distribution. Most of the huge authorization was never sold and was melted.

Design and symbolism

The 1925 half dollar helped finance the Confederate memorial carving begun on Stone Mountain, Georgia, in 1923. Its subject and the monument's later history make this one of the classic commemorative series' most historically complicated issues. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum—who later directed the early work on Mount Rushmore—designed both sides.

Obverse: Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson ride separate horses in overlapping profile beneath thirteen stars.

Regular issues and mintages

The figures in this 1925 Stone Mountain 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.