Owner Comments:

1926 Oregon MS64

The Oregon Trail Memorial Association, Inc. of New York petitioned Congress to authorize the minting of the Oregon Commemorative half dollar to fund the placement of monuments along the trail. During a sporadic run 14 coins would be produced from the Philadelphia, San Francisco and the Denver mints between 1926 and 1939. Congress authorized that no more than 6 million be minted and by 1939 after the remaining unsold coins were returned and melted the combined mintage for the entire series was set at 202,928 with the 1926 Philadelphia issue accounting for 47,955 coins.

The reverse design depicting the oxen drawn Conestoga wagon was originally thought to be the obverse by the engravers James Earle Fraser and wife Laura G. Fraser. James Earle Fraser is credited with the obverse design of this coin and of the legendary Buffalo Nickel while his wife gained notoriety for her designs of the 1922 Grant commemoratives.