1948 Booker T. Washington Commemorative Half Dollar, MS67+ (PCGS, CAC)

This 1948 Booker T. Washington commemorative half dollar is graded MS67+ by PCGS with CAC approval, placing it at the absolute pinnacle for quality of this issue. Struck in brilliant silver and displaying vibrant mint luster with attractive rainbow toning at the borders, the Superb Gem coin features Booker T. Washington’s portrait on the obverse and his birthplace memorial on the reverse. The half dollar was created to honor Washington’s legacy as an educator, author, and advocate for Black advancement. Of the thousands minted in 1948, only a handful survive in such extraordinary condition, with this example tied as the finest known.

The Booker T. Washington half dollar was the first U.S. coin to feature an African American and was designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, the nation’s first Black coin designer. An original artifact of mid-20th century commemorative coinage and social history, this issue celebrates Washington’s ascent from slavery to the national stage and the ongoing struggle for equality. Superb Gems at the MS67+ level are extreme rarities, underscoring the coin’s historical and numismatic significance.