Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar

The Stone Mountain Memorial Half Dollar commemorates the beginning of what would become the enormous bas-relief carving of Confederate leaders on Stone Mountain, Georgia. It was struck in a single year, 1925, and issued in unusually large numbers compared to most other classic commemoratives, making it one of the more common and affordable coins in the series today.

The coin's design was created by Gutzon Borglum, the same sculptor who began the Stone Mountain carving before later achieving greater fame for his work on Mount Rushmore, giving the coin a direct link between American commemorative coinage and monumental sculpture.

Congress authorized the coin in 1924 to help fund the carving of a massive memorial to Confederate leaders on the face of Stone Mountain, a large granite outcropping near Atlanta, Georgia. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum, who had begun work on the mountain carving itself, designed the coin's imagery.

The coin was struck at Philadelphia in 1925 in very large quantities, with distribution extending to numerous states and civic organizations selling coins to raise memorial funds, and even some coins reportedly given a special stamped state mint mark for sales campaigns organized state by state, though these state-related markings are separate from an actual mint of manufacture. Despite the ambitious size of the mintage, sales fell short of the original monument's cost, and Borglum was eventually removed from the Stone Mountain project after disputes with the sponsoring organization, later going on to carve Mount Rushmore.

The obverse depicts Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson mounted on horseback, riding side by side, with "STONE MOUNTAIN MEMORIAL" arching above. The reverse features an eagle perched on a mountain crag, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," "E PLURIBUS UNUM," and the denomination and date arranged around the design.

The coin is struck in standard 90% silver half dollar composition with a reeded edge, and it carries no mint mark since all pieces were struck at Philadelphia in a single year. Because of its large mintage and single date, there is little variety confusion; the coin is straightforward to identify by its distinctive dual equestrian portrait, unlike most other commemoratives that feature a single figure.

Due to its very large original mintage, the Stone Mountain half dollar is one of the most affordable and commonly encountered classic commemorative half dollars, widely available in circulated and mint-state grades alike. It is a popular choice for collectors seeking an accessible entry point into commemorative coin collecting.

Prices for typical circulated and lower mint-state examples remain modest, while choice and gem uncirculated coins with strong luster and few marks bring higher but still generally reasonable premiums compared to scarcer commemoratives. As with other common-date issues, exceptional condition and eye appeal are the primary drivers of any significant price difference.