Numismatic

2001-P Capitol Visitor Center 1/2 Dollar Clad Commem BU (Card)

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This 2001 commemorative half dollar, struck at the Philadelphia Mint, celebrates a major milestone in the history of the United States Capitol: the creation of the Capitol Visitor Center. Made from a clad composition of copper and nickel bonded to a pure copper core, the coin serves as a bridge between the early days of American governance and the modern complex we know today. The obverse design presents a visual timeline of the building itself, superimposing the original North Wing over an outline of the expanded contemporary Capitol structure. Inscriptions on this side include LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and U.S. CAPITOL, alongside the dual dates of 1800 and 2001. On the reverse, a detailed arrangement of historical facts is surrounded by a ring of 16 stars. These stars represent the 16 states that made up the Union in 1800, the very year the United States Congress held its first session inside the Capitol. The reverse inscriptions detail the makeup of that historic 6th Congress, noting the 32 senators and 106 members of the House who first gathered in the new legislative home. This side also features the national motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the denomination, HALF DOLLAR.