Precious Metals
Discover coins, jewelry, and precious metal artifacts with cultural significance.
Struck by the U.S. Mint at West Point, this 1 oz, .9999 fine gold coin commemorates the Mint’s 225th anniversary and features a revolutionary design of Liberty as an African American woman for the first time in U.S. coinage history. Graded the highest possible PF70 Ultra Cameo by NGC, this high relief proof issue is celebrated for its dramatic depth, flawless surfaces, and spectacular cameo contrast. The obverse presents Liberty in a modern, youthful profile crowned with stars, while the reverse features a bold American bald eagle in flight.
This coin represents a historic break from tradition, embracing America's diversity and reimagining national symbols for a new era. Released in 2017, its debut generated national discussion, being the first U.S. coin to explicitly depict Lady Liberty as Black. As the flagship of an ongoing series showing Liberty through multiple cultural lenses, the 225th Anniversary Liberty began a new era of inclusivity in American numismatics, and has become a touchstone for collectors of African American history and modern coin art alike.
This 1946 Booker T. Washington half dollar, graded MS68 by PCGS and endorsed by CAC, ranks among the finest known for the issue, with vibrant mint luster and extraordinary multicolor toning in hues of crimson, gold, lilac, blue, and green. The coin features a sharply struck image of Washington on the obverse and his birthplace memorial on the reverse, with powerful inscriptions honoring his journey “From Slave Cabin to Hall of Fame.” Designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway, the first Black artist to create a U.S. coin, this piece is notable for its artistic merit and connection to civil rights history.
The 1946 issue launched the Booker T. Washington commemorative series, the first U.S. currency to feature an African American and support funding for his memorial in Virginia. High-grade specimens like this one are exceptionally rare because most coins from this series suffer from weak strikes and surface marks, making MS68 Registry-quality examples exceedingly prized among collectors and historians.
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.