Commemorative Half Dollar Coin Featuring George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, 1952

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Artifact Overview

The second U.S. coin commemorating African Americans featured two Tuskegee Institute educators, president Booker T. Washington (1856-1915), and agricultural scientist, George W. Carver (early 1860s-1943). The U.S. Mint commissioned African-American sculptor and artist Isaac Scott Hathaway to design the coin. Issued from 1951 to 1954, the inscription on the back emphasized patriotism and individual liberty amid growing Cold War tensions.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Coin (Money)

Date Made

1952

Creator Notes

Designed by Isaac Scott Hathaway and produced by the United States Mint in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

71.101.275

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of John L. Booth.

Material

Silver (Metal)
Copper (Metal)

Dimensions

Diameter: 1.188 in

Inscriptions

"UNITED STATES OF AMERICA GEORGE W. CARVER LIBERTY BOOKER T. WASHINGTON HALF DOLLAR" "FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL AMERICANISM"
Commemorative Half Dollar Coin Featuring George Washington Carver and Booker T. Washington, 1952