CollecTons Keepers #7 & #8: 1986 Statue of Liberty Centennial Commemorative Uncirculated and Proof Half Dollars Certified in Exclusive ANACS Holders

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We are excited to release the seventh and eighth coins in the CollecTons Keepers program, an exclusive series only offered by CollecTons.  The seventh and eighth coins we present as a pair, CollecTons Keepers #7 and #8  in Series, feature the rare 1986-D Statue of Liberty Centennial Commemorative Uncirculated Half Dollar Certified in Exclusive ANACS Brilliant Uncirculated Holder and the rare 1986-S Statue of Liberty Centennial Commemorative Proof Half Dollar Certified in Exclusive ANACS Gem Proof Holder.

The Statue of Liberty Commemorative program proved to be one of the most successful in the history of U.S. commemorative coinage. To this day, the Statue of Liberty Commemorative Half Dollar holds the record as the best selling U.S. commemorative coin. It was the third modern commemorative coin program and with sales of over 7.8 million coins, it set a standard which has yet to be eclipsed.

The "Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation" was formed in 1982 to raise funds for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. President Ronald Reagan asked Lee Iacocca, then Chairman of Chrysler Corporation, to head the organization. A bill was put into law in 1985 authorizing the production of commemorative coins to be sold at a premium in order to raise funds for the organization as well as celebrate the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty. The program generated a total of $82.9 million to be put towards the restoration project.

The design was well received by the public and proved to be very telling. Designed by Edgar Steever, the obverse shows the Statue of Liberty greeting an arriving steamship of immigrants in the foreground and a view of the New York skyline in the background. According to a Treasury Department news release, the obverse "focuses on the growing New York skyline of about 1913, with the Statue's uplifting gesture welcoming an in-bound liner. The scene is set against the sun rising in the east to convey the start of a different life in the New World." The reverse was designed by Sherl Joseph Winter, and shows an immigrant family of four with their belongings on the threshold of America, waiting to be transported from Ellis Island to New York. The caption at the top of the coin reads "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS. The design is often considered the most attractive of all the modern commemoratives.

Coin Specifications for Uncirculated Issue

• Year: 1986
• Mint: Denver
• Mintage: 928,008
• Designers: Edgar Steever (obverse), Sherl Joseph Winter (reverse)
• Composition: 92% Copper, 8% Nickel
• Weight: 11.34 grams
• Diameter: 30.6mm
• Edge: Reeded

Coin Specifications for Proof Issue*

• Year: 1986
• Mint: San Francisco
• Mintage: 6,925,627
• Designers: Edgar Steever (obverse), Sherl Joseph Winter (reverse)
• Composition: 92% Copper, 8% Nickel
• Weight: 11.34 grams
• Diameter: 30.6mm
• Edge: Reeded

Here at CollecTons, we work hard researching coins that should be part of every collection. Our goal is to utilize our knowledge in the numismatic industry to select coins worthy of being in everyone's collection! Therefore, the CollecTons Keepers program will only feature those Coins Worth Keeping.

Each coin is hand selected and given to ANACS (America's Oldest Grading Service) for grading and authentication. The coins are then sealed in an ANACS certified proprietary slab holder for long-term storage, with our limited edition label marking it a CollecTons Keeper.