Modern Commemoratives Worth Collecting
Most modern US commemoratives trade at issue price forever. A handful break out, and we name names.
The Reality: The US Mint has issued 100+ commemorative programs since 1982. Most flopped. The ones that work share one trait: low survival rate at top grade combined with strong cultural narrative.
The Standouts
1995-W $5 Olympic Gold (Stadium)
$1,400 PR-70Mintage 10,579. Lowest mintage modern $5 commem. Issued $239 in 1995. PR-70 examples have appreciated 6x.
2014-W Baseball HOF $5 Gold (Curved)
$2,800 PR-70First curved US coin. Issued $400. Sold out in 24 hours. PR-70 SP supply is genuinely scarce; PR-69 trades $850.
2019-W Apollo 11 $5 Gold (Curved)
$1,200 PR-7050th anniversary, curved design. Issued $463. Strong narrative + collector appeal kept it well above issue.
1996-W $5 Smithsonian (Olympic)
$1,100 PR-70Sub-10K mintage. Routinely overlooked because it's not the marquee Olympic design.
2001-P American Buffalo Silver Dollar
$425 PR-70Used Bela Lyon Pratt's 1913 design. Sold out in days. The cleanest design of the modern silver commem era.
What to Avoid
- Anything from the 1990s "flag" / patriotism theme, overproduced, low demand
- Modern silver dollars without a strong narrative (most state quarters subscriber sets)
- Boxed Mint sets at retail, nearly always cheaper a year later
- TV-shopping "exclusive" gold commems with celebrity holograms, they trade at melt
Storage & handling
Modern commems are usually graded, so keep them in a slab box and store any original-mint-packaging pieces away from heat and humidity. A 10x loupe helps you judge a 70 from a 69 before you pay for it. See our collector gear guide →
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All coins →
1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold · Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1907 HR Saint-Gaudens High Relief
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold · Augustus Saint-Gaudens
1933 Double Eagle
$20 · Pre-1933 Gold
1929 Indian Head Half Eagle
$5 · Pre-1933 Gold · Bela Lyon Pratt