We travel to new territory with the United States Mint as it releases its first ever coins with applied color. Debuting today from the U.S. Mint are colorized 2020 Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coins.
The two dome-shaped coins issued in recognition of the 60th Anniversary of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame go on sale beginning at Noon ET. Their non-colorized counterparts launched earlier this year.
Never before has the Mint released colorized coins, although the genre has been a staple of other world mints for quite some time.
Colorized Basketball Hall of Fame Coin Designs
Appearing on the common obverse (heads side) of each coin is a glimpse of a basketball game in action. Three players are shown reaching for the ball with a rim and net shown behind. Justin Kunz created the design and Michael Gaudioso sculpted its. Obverse inscriptions read "LIBERTY," "IN GOD WE TRUST," and "2020."
Created by Donna Weaver and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, coin reverses (tails side) depict a basketball about to pass through the net.
 |
 |
As described by the Mint:
"The reverse design of the colorized silver dollar depicts a basketball with black seams about to pass through a white net, with its rim rendered in a familiar orange hue associated with the sport and the Hall of Fame."
"The reverse design of the colorized half dollar depicts an orange basketball with black seams about to pass through a white net, with the basketball and net’s rim rendered in two distinct shades of the familiar orange hue associated with the sport and the Hall of Fame."
Reverse inscriptions include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" along with "ONE DOLLAR" on the silver dollar and "HALF DOLLAR" on the clad half dollar.
These same designs appear on the non-colorized versions of the coins.
Colorized Basketball Coin Specifications
| Denomination: | Dollar | Half Dollar |
| Finish: | Colorized | Colorized |
| Composition: | 99.9% Silver | 8.33% Nickel, Balance Copper |
| Weight: | 26.730 grams | 11.340 grams |
| Diameter: | 1.500 inches | 1.205 inches |
| Overall Height: | 0.243 inch | 0.123 inch |
| Edge: | Reeded | Reeded |
| Mint and Mint Mark: | Philadelphia – P | San Francisco – S |
Pricing, Mintage and Limits
The Philadelphia Mint-struck silver dollar is priced at $95 and the San Francisco Mint-struck half dollar is listed at $55.
Mintage is established at 75,000 coins for each denomination.
Orders are limited to two coins per household for each product option for the first 24 hours of sales.
Surcharges for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Coin prices include surcharges — $10 for the silver dollar and $5 half dollar. Provided the coins turn a profit, proceeds from these surcharges are to be paid to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to fund an endowment that will enable increased operations and educational programming of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
These surcharges were mandated by Congress under the same legislation which allowed for the coins to be minted.
Ordering
Both 2020 Colorized Basketball Hall of Fame Coins may be ordered directly from the United States Mint beginning at Noon ET via its webpage dedicated to commemorative products.
Lipstick on a pig.
I’am loving it
Not interested in these don’t like basketball and don’t like colorized coins!
that’s the reasons i’m not in on this! could not have said it better myself and will probably never ever be a fan of b,ball abain.
i meant AGAIN not abain.
Na. Not getting these, lost interest due to everything going on.
Roadside flea market kitsch, trinkets, Sanford & Son overpriced junk!
But, with the flippers/dealers will probably sell out after the household order limits are lifted tomorrow. Who knows??
NumisdudeTX
I haven’t posted here in a long time. How are you, Seth? I have only purchased one product from the Mint this year, and that was my subscription to the uncirculated quarters. I did purchase two of the half-dollar basketball coins and I will sell them as soon as I have them in-hand.
First ever; …like basketball or not…it might be something. I’m going to take the risk and get two of each…let it ride for resale and see what happens.
We’re entering a new era in US Mint coins – judging from most of the comments on this site lately, many of us old timers are backing off. The Mint must be banking on the millennials buying what their father’s won’t. I wonder how the colored coins from Canada, Australia, etc are selling??
Oops – I meant to say colorized coins.
It is political in a way. I would happily buy a silver dollar for the Challenger 7 but won’t for McAuliffe alone.
Christopher Williams – Hello, & welcome back Christopher! Hope they go up in value & you can sell them for a good profit – you just never know with U.S. Mint products, kinda like gambling in Vegas! On the autograph front – my third hobby after my collection of original t.v. cartoon production hand-painted cels from the 50s & 60s – I got a new autograph that I forgot to get back in 2014. The young college student/artist lady who won the national design competition for the baseball glove obverse design of the first curved coins by the U.S. Mint,… Read more »
That is very coo, Seth. Congrats on that find. I am now chasing the older coins. Just purchased the complete Franklin Half Dollar set. Had one years ago and had to sell it. Feels great to own one again.
Good idea on the older U.S. coins Christopher, especially complete collections! I have a few high grade Franklin’s from my birth year of 1962 & in Cameo & Deep Cameo they are actually rare believe it or not. But, I have always purchased older U.S. Mint coins along with select modern ones (I too am buying less & less each year from the Mint). But, I now stick to PCGS-graded old U.S. Mint coins with a CAC sticker only from my favorite coin dealers. I sold off all of my NGC-graded older coins in 1998, since PCGS-graded coins tend to… Read more »
I own a few sets from my birth year of 1956. Those I really enjoy owning.
Be sure to check those Franklin’s in the Original Mint Packaging (OMP) for Cameos Christopher. They can really bring some great $ if you ever have to sell them.
NumisdudeTX
Ok Rick Tomaska Franklins Franklins Franklins!!! OMG!!!
I read some of the COA’S will be hand signed by the director. Those will probably be worth a few bucks. Not sure how many will be signed.
Steve –
Yes, those autographed COAs by the Mint Director might bring a small premium, but only since he is unable to attend coin shows to sign them for free as they always have done, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most coin shows have been cancelled. PCGS has some member-only coin shows in Vegas where they allow it with precautions, but the Mint Director doesn’t attend those usually.
Happy collecting Steve!
NumisdudeTX
Just ordered two each – will slab it. Hope they appreciate in value for atleast a short period…..in a longrun I don’t think so.
Screw basketball and the NBA. You have ruined the sport. US Mint…you may as well go ahead and melt them all down because they are worthless.
Mark, I agree with you. I actually stopped watching the NBA ten years ago. The game has gotten too soft, so I quit watching it.
Today, i just sold alot of Statue of Liberty and 1984 Olympics silver proof dollar coin to local coin shop . they just pay me $26 a piece .look like a got ripoff, same Mark Twins Proof Dollar , they try to buy at $26 . I am up sad , i remember MT ,i paid for $45+ at mint . so lost $19! Tell me the true, who will go to buy these high Premium in Rough time . I am out of job for 6 months Credit Card all at MAX! try to buy 1 American eagle with… Read more »
Sorry to hear that. Many of the commemorative coins that were sold by the US Mint years ago, can be had for 50% or less of the original selling price. Sad. Remember the 2006 Ben Franklin coins. The proof silver dollar is selling for below $40.00.
I’m sure I paid 90 & 100 for the Ben Franklins.
Did an inventory recently & I must have been addicted to everthing Mint in those days.
Not from the MINT, never cost $90 for a Commem $1…YET
They were NGC 70’s not from the mint!
ok….SilverInvestor was really who I addressed- $26 for mod comem $1 is good man, real good!
I have a stack of the Boy Scout coins that I had thought they were going to be in high demand. The PC design doomed the coin and I should have known better.
Just hoping that silver goes up and I can unload them. Since then I haven’t bought a single commemorative dollar with the exception of the WW1 Marine Corps coin.
The rising price of gold has bailed me out of a poorly-considered purchase on the Apollo 11 coins.
Sorry to hear.
The problem is that the two coins you mention are the least valuable of the commems and have been so for quite awhile.
$26 for those is a coup my friend. They have 90% AG & well under an ounce, like .66. So, even @ $30 an oz. where we aint you got SPOT. Usually only pay for the .999 @ spot…..
I ordered both today.. Im not a fan of these, but as a commemorative collector, I need them to update and finish my sets. Im not a fan of the suffrage dollars either, but got both of them last week.
Once the “Limit Of 2” expires, the hogs will buy them up.
At $55 for a piece of enameled scrap metal, they take a risk by doing so.
I bought a sharpie & colored my own, heck why does the 50c have more color than a $1? Mere future beanie babies or POGS, the # of kid kollectors kollapsed……lets just do colorizzed Mucky & Star Trek & get it over….maybe choclate US Mint coins
the mint should’ve colorized the coins in the old A.B.A.colored basketball.they might actually have better interest in these.it being patriotic and all.i remember watching those teams playing with the red white and blue B.ball.
Yeah. The old guard ( myself included) were against colorized coins being just flea market trinkets. Does anyone really think the mint reasoned this one out? Or just went for a cash grab.
it’s a cash grab all the way.
Ugly coin and don’t need to add color. The prices are outrageous for these coils! Seriously – $55 for a half dollar? Take the $150 you would spend on this garbage and buy a slabed bust half or Lincoln cent. In the long run it will be worth more than these useless trinkets.
A total sh*t design, hypnosis & dizziness inducing design over ALL values, ridiculous POS. Buy a share of APPLE you’ll make $ @ least this is NOT an investment….no base no leg$ in the aftermarket, ya those 8 year old will snap them up like MAGA hats….
The initial contract for the colorization of the coins ends at fiscal year end September 30, 2020. The potential value of the initial contract was $699,200.00…
Last night I was up late and watched HSN’s “Coin Collector.” Mike Mezack was hawking the basketball coins and lied once again. He claimed the Half-Dollar was “Sold Out.” Both the half-dollar and silver-dollar, as of right now, are still available.
The will be ‘available” from the Mint FOREVER…unless they pull them maybe in 2o22- then the Soylent GREEN coins will be issued
Basketball coins are’nt people. Lol
Now a Charlton Heston coin I might buy (for a reasonable price).
But I’m not sure that’s possible any more.
“Take you filthy hands off me you dirty Mint director…”
lol. that was funny.
That was funny. Both the Half Dollar and Silver Dollar are still available.
I heard today that some of the colorized basketball coins are hand signed by mint director similar to the enhanced reverse proof…yet to know how many he signed….
Gene —
Read what I posted on the other Colorized part of this blog. I don’t know how many would be signed, nor does the Mint’s web site say. But mine are numbered under 300 if that helps. You can also see pictures of mine but without their numbers.
— Mike