Numismatic

1926 Oregon Trail Memorial Half Commem Half XF

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The 1926 Oregon Trail Memorial half dollar stands as a remarkably detailed tribute to American westward travel. Struck in 90 percent silver, this coin contains 0.3617 troy ounces of precious metal. The design represents a collaborative artistic effort by the husband and wife sculpting team of James Earle Fraser and Laura Gardin Fraser. This commemorative series, which was minted in various years from 1926 to 1939, owes its existence largely to the advocacy of Ezra Meeker, an individual who personally journeyed along the historic Oregon Trail back in 1850. On the obverse side, a Conestoga wagon pulled by oxen is shown moving toward a setting sun, a powerful visual representation of the difficult journey west. The reverse side features a Native American figure standing with an outstretched arm in front of a map of the United States, holding a bow in hand. The coin features several legible inscriptions, including the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HALF DOLLAR, IN GOD WE TRUST, and OREGON TRAIL MEMORIAL, alongside the initial production year of 1926.