The 1892 Columbian Exposition half dollar was the first commemorative coin authorized by Congress. From 1892 through 1954, subsequent legislation authorized the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative coins for 53 different events, occasions, or individuals. This resulted in the Mint producing over 180 silver and gold commemorative coins.
As early as 1925, many in Congress expressed concern over bills introduced to “…commemorate events of local and not national interest…” After extensive hearings on the “objectionable practices and abuses related to the issuance of special coins”, as published in House Report No. 101, issued February 27, 1939, Congress passed legislation prohibiting “…the issuance and coinage of certain commemorative coins…” (Public Law No. 278-76th Congress – Approved August 5, 1939), which also halted the issue of all commemorative coins already approved.
With the exception of Acts signed on August 7, 1946, for the Iowa Centennial and Booker T. Washington half dollars, and an amendment to one of these in 1951 for the (George Washington) Carver-(Booker T.) Washington half dollar, no further coins were authorized. Produced from 1951 through 1954, the Carver-Washington half dollar was the last of the pre-modern commemorative coin programs.
- 1951-54 – George Washington Carver-Booker T. Washington Half Dollar
- 1946-51 – Booker T. Washington Memorial Half Dollar
- 1946 – Iowa Centennial Half Dollar
- 1938 – New Rochelle, New York Half Dollar
- 1937 – Roanoke Island, North Carolina Half Dollar
- 1937 – Battle of Antietam Half Dollar
- 1936 – York County, Maine Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1936 – Wisconsin Territorial Centennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Robinson-Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Providence, Rhode Island Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1936 – Norfolk, Virginia Bicentennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Lynchburg, Virginia Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Long Island Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1936 – Battle of Gettysburg Half Dollar
- 1936 – Elgin, Illinois Centennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Delaware Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1936 – Columbia, South Carolina Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Cleveland Great Lakes Exposition Half Dollar
- 1936 – Cincinnati Music Center Half Dollar
- 1936 – Bridgeport, Connecticut Centennial Half Dollar
- 1936 – Bay Bridge San Francisco-Oakland Half Dollar
- 1936 – Albany, New York Charter Half Dollar
- 1935-36 – San Diego-California-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar
- 1935 – Old Spanish Trail Half Dollar
- 1935 – Hudson, New York Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
- 1935 – Connecticut Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1935-39 – Arkansas Centennial Half Dollar
- 1934-38 – Texas Centennial Half Dollar
- 1934 – Maryland Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1934-38 – Daniel Boone Bicentennial Half Dollar
- 1928 – Hawaiian Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
- 1927 – Vermont Sesquicentennial (Bennington) Half Dollar
- 1926 – Sesquicentennial of American Independence Quarter Eagle
- 1926 – Sesquicentennial of American Independence Half Dollar
- 1926, 1928, 1933-34, 1936-39 – Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar
- 1925 – Fort Vancouver Centennial Half Dollar
- 1925 – Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar
- 1925 – Lexington-Concord Sesquicentennial Half Dollar
- 1925 – California Diamond Jubilee Half Dollar
- 1924 – Huguenot-Walloon Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1923 – Monroe Doctrine Centennial Half Dollar
- 1922 – Grant Memorial Gold Dollar
- 1922 – Grant Memorial Half Dollar
- 1921 – Missouri Centennial Half Dollar
- 1921 – Alabama Centennial Half Dollar
- 1920-21 – Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar
- 1920 – Maine Centennial Half Dollar
- 1918 – Illinois Centennial Half Dollar
- 1916-17 – McKinley Memorial Gold Dollar
- 1915 – Panama-Pacific Exposition Gold $50 (Octagonal)
- 1915 – Panama-Pacific Exposition Gold $50 (Round)
- 1915 – Panama-Pacific Exposition Quarter-Eagle
- 1915 – Panama-Pacific Exposition Gold Dollar
- 1915 – Panama-Pacific Exposition Half Dollar
- 1904-05 – Lewis and Clark Exposition Gold Dollar
- 1903 – Louisiana Purchase Exposition Gold Dollar (McKinley)
- 1903 – Louisiana Purchase Exposition Gold Dollar (Jefferson)
- 1900 – Lafayette Dollar
- 1893 – Queen Isabella Quarter Dollar
- 1892-93 – Columbian Exposition Half Dollar