From 2017 to 2019 the U.S. Mint has introduced a number of innovative commemorative coins that have caught the attention of the general public, including the first pink gold coins and the second set of curved coins. Topics during this period included the Lions Club, Boys Town and World War I centennials, breast cancer awareness, the 50th anniversary of the moon landing and the centennial of the American Legion.

Of particular note were the 2018 breast cancer coins and those in 2019 for the Apollo 11 anniversary.

The 2018 Breast Cancer Awareness program drew interest from non-collectors, partly because the coins included the first prink-colored $5 gold coin, and the broad appeal of the subject for survivors and family members of those who had this cancer.

In 2019 the coins issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 landing on the moon by the United States included a set of four curved coins with the same design, including an obverse with the famous first footprint of Neil Armstrong that was selected through a design competition. Those coins also included the very first curved 5-ounce silver coin and the first of that type struck in Proof – a coin that remains very popular and which has won several awards.

This program was not just a big hit with collectors but also was the best-selling one in many years, generating an impressive $8 million in surcharges for the recipient organizations. It is also the first set of commemoratives struck in .999 fine silver instead of .900 fine as commemoratives had been struck going back to 1892 when the Columbian Exposition half dollar was made. Finally, these coins also included the first ever Enhanced Uncirculated Kennedy half dollar, which was part of a special two-coin set sold with the Apollo 11 half dollar.

Visit the following pages for additional information on the United States Mint’s commemorative coins struck from 2017 to 2019: