Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar

The Pilgrim Tercentenary Half Dollar commemorates the 300th anniversary of the Pilgrims' 1620 landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Designed by sculptor Cyrus Dallin, it pairs a portrait of colonial governor William Bradford with an image of the Mayflower, the ship that carried the Pilgrims across the Atlantic.

Struck over two years, 1920 and 1921, the coin is a popular and relatively accessible classic commemorative, valued both for its important historical subject and its dignified, classically inspired design.

Congress authorized the coin in 1920 to mark the tercentenary, or 300th anniversary, of the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and founding Plymouth Colony. Sculptor Cyrus Dallin, known for his depictions of American historical and Native American subjects, designed the coin.

The coin was struck in 1920 for the anniversary year itself and again in 1921, with the second year's issue distinguished by a small added date on the obverse. Sales were handled by the Pilgrim Tercentenary Commission, and while the coin sold reasonably well for its time, a portion of the 1921 mintage went unsold and was later melted, making that date notably scarcer than the 1920 issue.

The obverse depicts a bust of William Bradford, longtime governor of Plymouth Colony, facing left, with "PILGRIM TERCENTENARY CELEBRATION" or similar legend around the rim; 1921-dated coins carry a small additional "1921" incused in the field to the left of the bust to distinguish them from the 1920 issue, which shares the same basic design but lacks this extra date. The reverse shows the ship Mayflower under full sail, with "MAYFLOWER" and the denomination and dates 1620–1920 marking the anniversary span.

The coin is struck in standard 90% silver half dollar composition, with no mint mark since it was produced only at Philadelphia. Careful attention to the small incused "1921" on the obverse field is the key method collectors use to tell the two dates apart, since the main design elements are otherwise identical.

The 1920 Pilgrim half dollar is common and one of the more affordable classic commemoratives, widely available in circulated to average mint-state grades. The 1921 issue, with its smaller mintage after unsold coins were melted, is noticeably scarcer and commands a meaningful premium over the 1920 date in comparable condition.

Gem, well-struck examples of either date are harder to find than raw mintage figures might suggest, since the coin's design can show contact marks and weak strikes on the highest points. Overall, this remains a popular and reasonably priced commemorative for collectors interested in early American colonial history.