Featuring the portrait of Christopher Columbus on the obverse and the ship he used for his first voyage to America, the Santa María, on the coins reverse.

Not only is the Columbian half dollar the first circulating commemorative coin in US history, it is also the first US coin to depict a historical person.

The purpose of the coin was not only to celebrate Columbus, but also to raise money for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, with approximately 400,000 coins being sold at a premium price. In fact, Remington Typewriter paid $10,000 for the first specimen Columbian half dollar struck, that’s over $285,000 in today’s money!

Coin is approximately 30.61 mm in diameter with a total weight of 12.5 grams of 90% pure Silver.